This is my first month to default. What do I tell my creditors?

The simple answer is, to do whatever you can to make it until the time period where you can refile another chapter 7 bankruptcy. You have no legal protection within this time period, because of your previous chapter 7 bankruptcy filing and discharge. The only other alternative you have would be to file a chapter 13 bankruptcy, which you may do within four years of receiving a chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge, rather than waiting an entire eight years to refile another chapter 7 bankruptcy. You may simply want to wait and deal with the repercussions of your creditors attempting to collect on debt until you may refile. If you're only one months in default, it usually takes creditors longer than six months to get you into court and receive a judgment, so you may have enough time to just wait and then refile another chapter 7 bankruptcy after eight years have passed from your previous chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge.   I have responded to your inquiry according to the laws of Massachusetts, where my firm is located. Laws can vary significantly from state to state and cases tend to be rather fact-specific, so you are best served by consulting with a knowledgeable attorney in weighing your options. Email messages/Online Correspondence are akin to conversations and do not reflect the level of analysis applied to formal legal opinions. Email/Online responses do not form an attorney-client relationship.    Joseph F. Botelho, Esq. BOTELHO LAW GROUP Attorneys At Law http://fallriverbankruptcyattorney.com/ 901 Eastern Ave.  Unit 2 Fall River, MA 02723  Office:  888-269-0688 FAX:    877-475-8147