Includes index.

Part IBankruptcy: The Big Picture -- 5 -- Chapter 1 Considering Bankruptcy -- 7 -- Chapter 2 Stopping the Bleeding -- 25 -- Chapter 3 Meeting the Players -- 45 -- Chapter 4 Deciding Which Type of Bankruptcy Is Best for You -- 55 -- Chapter 5 Getting from Here to There: The Bankruptcy Process -- 69 -- Part II Avoiding Bankruptcy -- 87 -- Chapter 6 Considering Alternatives to Bankruptcy -- 89 -- Chapter 7 Handling Bill Collectors -- 107 -- Chapter 8 Negotiating with the IRS -- 117 -- Part III Keeping Your Stuff -- 125 -- Chapter 9 Understanding Which Assets Are Off-Iimits to Creditors -- 127 -- Chapter 10 Dealing with Secured Debts -- 145 -- Chapter 11 Saving Your Home -- 157 -- Part IV Getting Rid of (Most of) Your Debt -- 173 -- Chapter 12 Lingering Obligations -- 175 -- Chapter 13 A House of Cards: Wiping Out Credit-Card Debts -- 187 -- Chapter 14 Give unto Caesar: Using Bankruptcy to Deal with Tax Debts -- 197 -- Chapter 15 Devil Made Me Do It: Fines, Fraud, and Other Foibles -- 207 -- Chapter 16 Till Debt Due Us Part: Bankruptcy and Divorce -- 215 -- Chapter 17 Student Loans and Other Mind Games -- 229 -- Part V Strategies for a Successful Bankruptcy -- 243 -- Chapter 18 Avoiding Troubles with Your Trustee -- 245 -- Chapter 19 Living on the Edge in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy -- 255 -- Part VI Enjoying Your Fresh Start -- 275 -- Chapter 20 Repairing Your Credit -- 277 -- Chapter 21 Staying Out of Financial Trouble -- 289 -- Chapter 22 Ten Common Bankruptcy Mistakes -- 299 -- Chapter 23 Ten Things You Can Do Right Now to Ease Your Financial Woes -- 303 -- Chapter 24 Ten Common Questions about Bankruptcy -- 307 -- Appendix B Exemption Laws -- 327 -- Choosing between Federal and State Exemptions -- 327 -- Identifying Bankruptcy Code Exemptions -- 328 -- Surveying State Exemptions -- 330.