Los Olivos, CA Bankruptcy Law Firms & Lawyers

Once you get your discharge, you can apply for credit as you would normally do. There really is no next step. However, keep in mind that the discharge is not necessarily the end of the bankruptcy. If the trustee is waiting for you to turn over property, you still need to do this before the bankruptcy can be closed.

Either spouse can file a bankruptcy petition. The bankruptcy does not show up on the non-filer's credit report. If both apply for joint credit the bankruptcy of one will show up for both.

No. All your property became property of the bankruptcy estate as soon as you filed your petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. During this 60-day period, a few things will happen. The trustee will issue a report of no distribution, then subsequently an notice of abandonment of bankruptcy estate property back to the debtor (you). However, if yours is a no-asset case, the better practice during this 60-day period is to simply ask permission of the trustee to sell property. Occasionally this could backfire though depending on whether claims are filed or an adversary proceeding is commenced. Best practice overall: wait until the discharge issues and the case is closed.