So I’m going to file a Chapter 13 and I know I need to meet with the trustee at least once during my case. Do I have to go to my confirmation hearings also?

The good news at least in Maryland is that the trustees like to move their dockets through as efficiently as possible so if you’re current on your plan payments and you’re getting in documents and you’re making a good-faith effort to meet the requirements of Chapter 13, then most of the time you won’t have to go to a confirmation hearing so you won’t have to take off time from work and make arrangements to get to the federal courthouse to do that.

But if you’ve missed a bunch of payments and there’s a problem because they just think that the amount that you’re going to pay is too low and you can’t meet in the middle and you got to go to the judge and get the judge’s permission to approve your plan, then yes you’re going to have to go to that confirmation hearing.

Now, besides everything I’ve said, when your lawyer tells you about a confirmation hearing you really need to put that on your calendar and reserve the day until the lawyer tells you that you don’t have to go.

Thoughts from a Maryland Bankruptcy Lawyer