There are many confirmed coronavirus cases in San Diego County. The county has declared a state of emergency and banned gatherings of 10 or more people. Schools and non-essential businesses are closed. If you have been considering filing for bankruptcy or have already filed for bankruptcy, you may have concerns about coronavirus disturbing the San Diego bankruptcy process.
With a significant number of people filing for unemployment, more people than ever will need to file for bankruptcy in the upcoming weeks. BLC Law Center professional bankruptcy attorney is all you need.
All hearings will be conducted telephonically
The United States bankruptcy court for the southern district of California has ordered that all hearings must be conducted telephonically. Unless otherwise directed by a specific judge, all hearings must be held telephonically. Parties to bankruptcy will not need to pay the costs associated with the telephonic hearings.
Meeting of Creditors
In order to finalize a chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 bankruptcy, you will need to schedule a 341 meeting of creditors. The U.S. Department of Justice has proclaimed that all in-person meetings of creditors will be postponed. All 341 meetings that are scheduled through April 10 have been postponed to a later date that is to be determined by the court. As the federal government has extended the stay-at-home regulation until the end of April, it is likely that bankruptcy courts will extend this deadline.
If your meeting of creditors has already been scheduled as a telephonic meeting, you will still need to attend the meeting via telephone. The Court recommended that if you have any questions about your meeting of creditors, you contact the trustee that the court has placed in charge of your case. They will be able to advise you as to when your meeting will take place. If your meeting has been postponed, you will receive notice in the mail when it becomes rescheduled.
You can File for an Extension of Your Deadlines
The Bankruptcy Court has stated that you can seek an extension of deadlines for any eligible bankruptcy matter. The court will only grant extensions when the debtor can prove that circumstances related to coronavirus have made it difficult to meet the deadline. Debtors will need to file a notice of their intended action. You must file the notice of intended action before or on your current deadline. As long as there is no opposition, the court will grant your request for an extension without the need for a hearing. If you need to file an extension for your bankruptcy petition in San Diego, the BLC Law Center can help.
The Bankruptcy Law Center can Help
Bankruptcy courts have imposed visitor restrictions. If you come to the courthouse, you will be screened. If you have traveled or had close contact with anyone who has traveled to China and other highly infected countries, or you have symptoms of coronavirus, you will be turned down. If you need help filing for bankruptcy in San Diego, the BLC Law Center can help.
Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
