Stanley S. Pickett, lawyers in Greenbelt, MD, Maryland

The Dischargeability of Marital Obligations in Bankruptcy

Debts determined to be property settlements are normally dischargeable in bankruptcy cases. Disputes have largely focused on the section of the Bankruptcy Code that creates an exception to the bankruptcy discharge, applicable in all debtor relief chapters of the Bankruptcy Code, for debts that are in the nature of alimony, maintenance, or support. More...

Unsecured Claims

Unsecured debt may be generally described as a debt where credit was granted based solely upon the promise or ability of the debtor to pay. Claims that are not secured by any collateral or subject to setoff are generally unsecured claims. For purposes of bankruptcy, unsecured claims are classified and paid based on a priority list described in the Bankruptcy Code. Each class must be paid in full before the next lower class is paid anything.More...

Family Law

Bankruptcy and Family LawMore...

Chapter 13 Postpetition Claims

Certain postpetition claims may be filed and allowed in a Chapter 13 case. This permits the same treatment of certain postpetition credit extended to the Chapter 13 debtor as for a prepetition claim for purposes of proof, allowance, and priority. More...

Securities Investor Protection Act

The Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) was designed to create a new form of liquidation proceeding. SIPA created the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), a nonprofit, private membership corporation to which most registered brokers and dealers are required to belong. The SIPC fund constitutes an insurance program. The fund is designed to protect the customers of brokers or dealers subject to SIPA from loss in case of financial failure of the member. The fund is supported by assessments upon its members. More...