Meet Your Attorney: Your Intake Process
Mr. Thompson is an experienced Louisville, KY bankruptcy attorney and foreclosure defense lawyer who has practiced in Louisville since 1991. His office provides confidence and a clear path during a financial crisis. We handle your case personally and efficiently, ensuring you understand every step of the process.
The 5 Steps to Filing Bankruptcy or Defending a Kentucky Foreclosure
1) Required Bankruptcy Documents:
There are necessary documents that all attorneys need to prepare a bankruptcy petition, and that you are required to turn over to the Trustee and the Bankruptcy Court. Here is our consumer checklist of these documents. Without these documents, the Trustee and Judge cannot do their jobs. The failure to provide these documents will result in the case being dismissed.
2) Mandatory Bankruptcy Credit Counseling:
You must complete a mandatory pre-filing credit counseling course from an approved provider and provide that to the court when you file your petition. We like BKcert.com. If it is not provided when you file, your case is dismissed. People often forget to take the chat at the end of the counseling. The certificate will not be issued until after you do the chat. Doing the credit counseling will take about 1-2 hours.
3) Online bankruptcy intake form:
To prepare your petition, complete our online intake form. This can be done from home 24 hours a day. Just send us your name, email address, and whether you want to file as a Chapter 7 or 13 in our contact form. We will respond during business hours by sending you a link to your private intake form, where you will fill out the information. I will personally review your intake and complete your petition with you in our office. This will take about 2-3 hours.
4) Bankruptcy Case Filing & Automatic Stay Activation:
After you complete the intake, we enter it into our software and prepare your petition schedules. Preparing the petition with you in our office takes about 2-3 hours. When we file the petition, the Automatic Stay takes effect, immediately ending creditor actions like a foreclosure. In our first meeting, I often review your goals and documents to determine whether you qualify for Chapter 7 (under the Means Test) or whether Chapter 13 is necessary to save a home or vehicle.
5) Your 341 meeting and confirmation hearing:
In the 341 meeting, the Trustee holds a Zoom call, primarily to confirm the accuracy and completeness of your information in the schedules. In Chapter 13 cases, the Judge may hold a confirmation hearing to review the petition and schedules to ensure the plan is feasible. The plan is feasible if it properly provides for secured and priority claims and constitutes the Debtor’s best effort to repay. If you fail to make payments, a secured creditor may file a bankruptcy proceeding called a motion for relief from stay. The Trustee could also file a motion to dismiss.
Preparing for Success: The Essential Document Checklist
The Trustee and Judge trust debtors, but must verify the facts you are swearing to. Providing these documents to the court ensures the attorney can file your petition quickly, saving valuable time when a sale or garnishment is imminent. We are happy to provide you with a thumb drive to store these PDF documents. Here is a short list of documents the court requires.
Required Document Checklist for Intake
| Required Document Category | Why We Need It | Required Scope |
| Proof of Household Income | Determines Chapter 7 eligibility and Chapter 13 feasibility. | We need the prior 6 months of pay stubs, W-2s, or other income statements. |
| Bank/Financial Statements | Identifies assets and tracks recent transactions. | Prior 6 months of statements for every bank account (checking or savings) |
| Tax Returns (Federal & State) | Verifies historical income and potential tax debt liabilities. | Copies of returns from the prior 2 years. The prior 4 years must be filed. |
| Identification | Legal requirement to verify identity. | Copy of Driver’s License & Social Security Card to prove your SS number. |
| Secured Debt Documents | Car titles, date-stamped Deeds, & mortgages are required. | Vehicle titles, deeds, and mortgages are required to be sent to the Trustee |
| Creditor Information | Fill in an intake listing debts, addresses, & amounts | Full list of all creditors, account numbers, and amounts owed. |
Mandatory Pre-Filing Requirements: Credit Counseling & Financial Education
Federal law requires all debtors to complete two education courses before obtaining a debt discharge.
You must complete a mandatory credit counseling course from an approved agency before your bankruptcy petition can be filed. I prefer that clients use the Debt Education & Certification Foundation (DECAF) through www.bkcert.com.
Step 1: Pre-filing Credit Counseling Course
The Course Details You Need:
- Required Course: Course 1: Before filing.
- Cost: The course fee is $50 for either an individual or a joint course. For a cheaper provider, there is prebk.com
- Fee Waiver Qualification: Fee waivers are available if your gross household income is less than 150 percent of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Poverty Guidelines for your household size. To apply for a waiver, you must provide documentation, such as last year’s tax returns, IRS Tax Transcripts, or SSI Awards Letters.
Step 2: Post-Filing Debtor Education Course
After your case is filed and the Automatic Stay is in effect, you must complete a second online course focusing on financial management. This course must be completed to receive the final discharge of your debts and provides practical tips for rebuilding credit and maintaining a secure financial future.
Strategic Defense: How We Protect Your Assets and Family
Hiring a foreclosure defense lawyer who understands the nuances of Kentucky law is essential. I use aggressive, proven strategies to protect debtors and their families against asset loss and deficiency judgments, and I have 35+ years of experience in bankruptcy and foreclosure defense cases.
Defense Strategies Against Foreclosure and Deficiency Judgments
This firm leverages legal procedures to maximize protection. By insisting that the lender accurately present all evidence and follow proper procedures, we can significantly delay or even force the dismissal of a poorly constructed foreclosure case.
In Chapter 13, the greatest protection is the ability to cure missed mortgage payments over a 3-5-year period while keeping the home. This crucial protection is often referred to as Chapter 13’s superpower. We also advise clients on avoiding tax liabilities and deficiency judgments that may result from a foreclosure.
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13: Choosing the Right Shield
The attorney will help you choose the correct chapter based on your unique financial profile:
| Bankruptcy Chapter | Key Benefit: Decades of experience protecting Jefferson County houses, Louisville families, & businesses. | Ideal For Clients Who… |
| Chapter 7 (Liquidation) | Fast, quick discharge of unsecured debts (credit cards, medical bills). Ideally, for debtors who have average wages and equity in their property, and who need to stop wage garnishments and phone calls. | Pass the Means Test and have limited non-exempt assets. |
| Chapter 13 (Reorganization) | Allows the debtor to keep all assets (home, car), stop foreclosure, and cure mortgage/car payment arrears over time. Your property is protected by a fresh start. Individuals file and pay overwhelming debt from regular income. | Have a steady income and are determined to keep their house or car. |
The Thompson Advantage: Expertise, Authority, and Trust
Nick C Thompson has been a practicing consumer bankruptcy attorney in the Louisville region since 1991. His professional background offers unparalleled insight into the strategies your creditors use.
Insider Knowledge of the Opposition:
- Former Lender Representative: Mr. Thompson worked for lenders before transitioning to representing consumers. He understands how financial institutions think, evaluate risk, negotiate debts, and build litigation strategies.
- Former Tax Prosecutor: His tenure as a Tax Prosecutor and Assistant Bullitt County Attorney provides him with direct experience navigating government collection tactics and procedures, enabling him to mount a comprehensive defense against potential IRS debts or local government liens.
- Deep Local Experience: With decades of experience serving Jefferson, Bullitt, and the surrounding Kentucky counties. Clients are assured they are hiring an experienced Bankruptcy Attorney who is deeply familiar with the local court and Trustee systems.
Hiring Nick C Thompson means hiring an advocate who has successfully negotiated for and represented the financial institutions. He knows exactly how they build their cases and find their weaknesses.
Contact and Office Information
Please contact the office immediately to stop phone calls, stop foreclosures, schedule your free consultation, and discuss activating the Automatic Stay to stop creditor actions today.
Office Location and Legal Service Area
Nick C Thompson Louisville Bankruptcy Attorney
Providing your Louisville, KY family with a financial future and dealing with your committed legal finances and obligations.
Louisville KY 40223
Phone: 502-625-0905
Email:
- Nick C. Thompson, Attorney: 502-625-0905
- Executive Assistant/Office Manager: 502-625-0903
- Nick Thompson Email: Office@Bankruptcy-Divorce.com
URGENT HELP? Call or email your Louisville Bankruptcy Lawyer Now at 502-625-0905
We proudly serve clients across Jefferson, Oldham, Spencer, Bullitt, Nelson, Hardin, and Meade counties in Kentucky.
Bankruptcy is one financial tool that can increase your financial worth by thousands or even millions of dollars within hours or days. Even the federal government has agreed, in three separate 2015 studies conducted by Federal Reserve banks, that when it is appropriate, filing for bankruptcy can dramatically increase a person’s net worth and, in most cases, improve their FICO score.
If each day is a struggle to make ends meet, bankruptcy offers you the ability to restructure your budget. I help clients discharge their debts, regain control of their finances, and get the fresh start they deserve. With over 30 years of serving individuals throughout the Louisville, Kentucky area, you are in the right place.
My Executive Assistant will answer many of your questions. Please feel free to contact her at 502-625-0903. When you visit, you will meet with me for 2-3 hours to develop a strategy and prepare your bankruptcy. If you are unable to attend your appointment, please call at least 24 hours in advance. We do have some evening and weekend appointments available. Our standard appointments are as follows:
- 9 am – 11 am.
- 11 am – 1 pm.
- 1 pm – 3 pm.
- 3 pm – 5 pm.
Don’t struggle another day. Contact me today to schedule a free same-day or next-day appointment at 502-625-0905 between 9 am and 5 pm. Remember, you can file for bankruptcy in just one trip by completing the intake and bringing all your supporting documents with you to this initial meeting.
