If financial circumstances have pushed you into a corner and you need to get rid of your debt, the last stop on the road is usually bankruptcy.  It’s a rather painless process and it doesn’t get into the papers.  The process is mostly anonymous.  In order to navigate this final step, it is best to talk to someone with knowledge in the field of bankruptcy.  For an individual, the process involves either filing under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 of the Code.  If you qualify for a Chapter 7, you can wipe out your debt 100% and get a fresh start.  If you need to catch up on a mortgage or make partial payments, then you may want to consider a Chapter 13.  To decide which way to go, you finances have to be analyzed, which is usually done by a bankruptcy Attorney.  So what will you need to gather in order to do this?  As an attorney who has been analyzing qualifications for more than 20 years, I would start with the following items to have ready: 

1.  Your last 7 months of pay stubs or proof of income from any other sources in the last 7 months, 

2. your vehicle registration(s) and balance statements,

3. if you own a house, a copy of the deed, mortgage and most recent balance statement, along with a comparative market analysis from a licensed R.E. broker, these are usually free, and,

4.  your most recent tax returns.

With these items your attorney can tell you what you qualify for.  If you have any further questions, please feel free to call Attorney Mark O. Grater at 860-449-8059 in Southeast Connecticut or visit his web cite at www.graterlaw.com.