The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 went into effect in October 2005.
The bill amends Title 11 of the U.S. Code and provides for stricter bankruptcy filing requirements. Under the new law, those who have the ability to do so may be required to pay back part of their debt rather than having the debt expunged. The law also makes it more difficult for "serial filers" to abuse bankruptcy protection and requires more disclosure to customers by credit card companies.
Parts of the new law are enforced by the Department of Justice's (DOJ) United States Trustee Program.
If you have questions about filing for bankruptcy, please consult with a licensed attorney who specializes in bankruptcy law. While there is no federal agency that provides private legal assistance, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) does fund locally based legal aid services to people in financial need.
If you are not eligible for legal assistance through the LSC, you may obtain a lawyer referral from the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) program provided by your local State Bar Association office. The LRIS will match you with a lawyer based upon your specific legal need. You may wish to access a directory of LRIS programs by state.
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lris/directory/
