RECOMMENDED HANDOUTS
Kelly
Law Office
1013 Ford Road
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 544-6356
Fax: (952) 546-3690
Mobile: (612) 735-3797
dave@kelly-law.com
AT A GLANCE
Check list of what documents to provide after filing:
The new law requires that the trustee is to be provided with a copy of your most recent tax return prior to the meeting of creditors. For all practical purposes, "meeting of creditors" means "hearing." There is also now a longer list of what you are required to bring to the meeting of creditors. The folks at the clerk of court's office in Minneapolis have prepared a little sheet which lists these items, and they are passing it out to those brave but foolish souls who are coming in to file their own cases without the help of a lawyer. This sheet is pretty handy, and we have started giving it out to our clients. To view or download this item, click here.
Proof of identity and social security number:
Heaven help you if you show up for the meeting of creditors ("341 Meeting) without a picture ID and something in writing that proves your social security number is yours. The preferred items to take care of this requirement are a driver's license and a social security card. There are other alternatives, however, all of which are set forth in the "Notice to Debtors and Attorneys" handout. To see the handout, click here.
The "Bankruptcy Information Sheet" - Required Reading:
At the meeting of creditors, which Dave Kelly always just calls the "hearing," one of the questions will be "have you read the Bankruptcy Information Sheet?" The correct answer to this question is "yes." So be sure you actually have read this sheet. For a copy of this handout, click here.
Please note that this item might more properly be called the misinformation sheet, since the situation it describes could only take place in a case where none of the assets were exempt. Not long ago Mr. Kelly overheard another attorney tell his client not to worry about it because "it's all lies."
Maps to the Courthouses:
Our clients tend to get lost on the way to the courthouse. The most common mistake is to go the wrong courthouse, where they get really confused because there is often no room with the number they are looking for.
Please note: In Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota the hearings are at the Federal Courthouse. In both Minneapolis and St. Paul we seem to have a chronic problem with clients looking for the hearing (meeting of creditors) in the county courthouse. However, in St. Cloud, Minnesota the hearings are in rented space at the American Red Cross building, Room 112, 1301 W. St. Germain Street St. Cloud, MN 56301. Click here for the Mapquest map to the St. Cloud, MInnesota location.
For a map to the "New" Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota click here. For a map to the Federal Courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota click here.
One further note: The Federal Courthouse in St. Paul is under construction. The hearings are temporarily being held at 180 East Fifth St., Suite 180. Here is a link to a mapquest map showing this location.
How do I get a copy of my Credit Report?
If you search on Google you will find several sites offering to provide a free credit report. When you get into the process you will often find that either it is not free, they want you to sign up for some kind of membership, or they want a lot of personal information which they are going to use to bury you in advertising. There's only one place Dave recommends for getting a free credit report, and that's AnnualCreditReport.com. This is a is a centralized service for consumers to request free annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act).
Kelly Law Office represents bankruptcy clients throughout the Twin Cities - Minneapolis, Minnesota area including Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul, Anoka, Shakopee, Hastings, Eagan, Burnsville, Buffalo, Hennepin County, Anoka County, Carver County, Scott County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, and Wright County.
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation. The use of the Internet for communications with the firm will not establish an attorney-client relationship and messages containing confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent.