Lansing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer

Frego & Associates has handled 40,000+ Michigan bankruptcy filings since 1997. Our Lansing-area Chapter 7 attorneys help residents of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties discharge unsecured debt, stop creditor harassment, and protect their property under Michigan's bankruptcy exemptions.

What Is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Michigan?

Chapter 7 bankruptcy (sometimes called liquidation bankruptcy or straight bankruptcy) is a federal legal process governed by Title 11 of the U.S. Code. It allows qualifying Michigan residents to discharge most unsecured debt in exchange for liquidation of non-exempt assets. In practice, the majority of Lansing Chapter 7 filings are "no-asset" cases, meaning Michigan exemptions cover everything the filer owns and no property is sold.

Once your petition is filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan, an automatic stay halts most collection activity. Wage garnishments, creditor calls, foreclosure notices, and lawsuits all freeze immediately under 11 U.S.C. § 362.

Who Qualifies for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Lansing?

Eligibility hinges on the means test, which compares your household income against the Michigan state median. The U.S. Trustee Program publishes the official median-income tables twice a year (April 1 and November 1). For cases filed between November 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, the Michigan medians are:

Filers under the median typically qualify automatically. Filers over the median complete the second part of the means test (Form 122A-2), which deducts allowable expenses; many still qualify. Even when the calculation says you don't, a Michigan bankruptcy attorney can identify recategorizations (household size, special-circumstance expenses, or non-consumer debt) that often change the result.

Other Chapter 7 eligibility rules

• You must complete a credit-counseling course from an approved nonprofit within 180 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 109(h)).
• You cannot have received a Chapter 7 discharge in the previous 8 years (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8)) or a Chapter 13 discharge in the previous 6 years in most cases (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(9); payment-percentage exceptions apply).
• A previous case dismissed for cause within the last 180 days will block re-filing.
• Business filings have separate rules. Sole proprietors typically file Chapter 7 personally; LLCs and corporations file Chapter 7 or Chapter 11.

Which Assets Are Protected in a Lansing Chapter 7 Filing?

Michigan filers may elect either the Michigan state exemptions (MCL 600.5451) or the federal exemptions (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)). Both schemes protect a baseline of property: primary residence equity, a vehicle, household goods, tools of the trade, retirement accounts, and certain public benefits. The specific dollar caps differ between the two schemes and are inflation-adjusted on a multi-year cycle.

Commonly protected categories

What Chapter 7 will not discharge

• Domestic-support obligations (child support, alimony)
• Most student loans (limited "undue hardship" exception)
• Recent income tax debt (priority tax claims)
• Government fines, restitution, and criminal penalties
• Debts incurred through fraud or willful injury
• Most secured debts unless you also surrender the collateral

How Do You File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Lansing?

1. Free consultation with a Lansing bankruptcy lawyer. We collect a debt list, income picture, and a quick asset summary, then run the means test and recommend Chapter 7 or Chapter 13.
2. Pre-filing credit counseling. Required by federal law. Approximately 60–90 minutes, completed online or by phone with an EOUST-approved provider.
3. Petition preparation. Our team drafts the petition, schedules of assets and liabilities, statement of financial affairs, and means-test calculation.
4. Filing in the Western District of Michigan. Once the petition is filed and the $338 fee is paid (or waiver granted under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)), the automatic stay takes effect and creditor collection stops.
5. 341 meeting of creditors. A short hearing (usually 5–10 minutes) with the Chapter 7 trustee, held 21–40 days after filing (FRBP 2003(a)(1)(A)). Your attorney attends with you.
6. Pre-discharge debtor education. A second short course is required after filing.
7. Discharge order. The 60-day window for objections under FRBP 4004(a) opens at the 341 meeting; the bankruptcy judge typically enters discharge shortly after that window closes, roughly 60–90 days after the 341 meeting. Eligible unsecured debt is permanently wiped. See U.S. Courts: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Basics.

Why Hire a Lansing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney?

Chapter 7 is a paperwork-heavy proceeding with hard statutory deadlines and a trustee whose job is to scrutinize every line of your petition. The most common reasons clients tell us they wish they'd hired counsel earlier:

• Means-test mistakes: incorrect household size, wrong look-back window, or missed deductions push otherwise-eligible filers into Chapter 13.
• Exemption choice: electing Michigan vs. federal exemptions changes which assets are protected. The wrong election can cost thousands in lost equity.
• Pre-filing transfers and "preferential payments" to family members or favored creditors can be clawed back by the trustee. We screen for these before you file.
• 341 meeting representation: the trustee asks specific questions about every line of your petition. An attorney sits with you and intervenes when needed.
• Reaffirmation agreements for cars and homes are negotiated separately. We make sure you don't reaffirm debt on terms you can't carry post-discharge.

Why Frego & Associates for Lansing-area filings

• 40,000+ bankruptcy filings across Michigan since 1997; practice limited to Chapters 7 and 13.
• 25+ years of consumer-bankruptcy practice; member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.
• Free, no-obligation consultations by phone, video, or in-person.
• Transparent flat-fee pricing for standard Chapter 7 cases; payment plans available before filing.
• Michigan-only firm; every attorney is admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and practices regularly in the Eastern and Western Districts.

Where We Serve in the Lansing Area

Frego & Associates is a Michigan-wide firm headquartered in Dearborn Heights, with attorneys serving clients across the Lansing metro and Tri-County region. Cases for Lansing-area residents are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan. We routinely represent residents of:

• Lansing
• East Lansing
• Holt
• Okemos
• Mason
• Charlotte
• DeWitt
• Grand Ledge
• St. Johns

Initial consultations and document signings can be conducted by phone, video, or in person at the Flint office. We coordinate trustee meetings remotely or at the Western District court location as required.

What Do Bankruptcy Filings Look Like in Western Michigan?

Chapter 7 is consistently the most common consumer bankruptcy chapter filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan, where Lansing-area cases are heard. This reflects the median-income profile and unsecured-debt mix common to the Lansing and west-Michigan region. For current district filing counts by chapter, see the Western District of Michigan ECF stats dashboard.

Memberships & recognition

Lansing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Practice Area Overview
• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in Michigan
• All Michigan Office Locations & Service Areas
• Meet Our Bankruptcy Attorneys
• Bankruptcy Blog & Legal Updates

Attorney advertising. This page is for general information and is not legal advice. Reading or interacting with this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Bankruptcy laws and statutory amounts change; please verify current figures with our office or with the cited federal and Michigan authorities. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Results depend on the specifics of each case. This advertisement complies with Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 and 7.2.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. (Disclosure required by 11 U.S.C. § 528(a)(4).)