The waiting period for filing a Chapter 7 case: 1. If you received a discharge in the first Chapter 7 case, you have to wait 8 years from the filing date before you can file another 7. 2. If you received a discharge in a prior Chapter 13 case, the time limit depends on whether you paid back more than 70% of your unsecured debt in the prior case. If you did, there is no waiting period. If you did not, you have to wait 6 years after the filing of the 13. 3. If you did not receive a discharge, there is no waiting period. The waiting period for filing a Chapter 13 case: 1. If you received a discharge in a prior chapter 7 case, you can file under chapter 13 case at any time. However, if you file the 13 within 4 years of the date you filed the 7, you will not receive a discharge. (Some do this anyway to catch up on a mortgage arrearage.) 2. If you received a discharge in a prior Chapter 13 case, there is a 2-year waiting period - but since nearly every 13 takes longer than 2 years to complete, this rule rarely applies. 3. As with filing under Chapter 7, there is no waiting period if you did not receive a discharge in the prior case.
Answered on Jan 31st, 2012 at 5:42 PM