Your Bankruptcy Discharge Order, Explained

What this notice usually means

A discharge order releases you from personal responsibility for most debts. It stops creditors from trying to collect them. It does not erase a lender's lien on secured property. A car loan or mortgage lien can still be enforced against that property. This is true even after your personal debt is discharged. Your discharge covers debts that existed before your order for relief. This applies whether or not a creditor filed a claim. Absent an objection or a request for more time, the discharge order usually issues 60 to 90 days after the first date set for your 341 meeting. That is true even if the meeting later gets rescheduled. A creditor who wants to object to your discharge must file within 60 days of that same first scheduled meeting date, in a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case. A prior discharge can also block a new one. An earlier discharge in a case filed within the last 8 years blocks a new Chapter 7 discharge. A 6 year bar can apply instead if your prior case was a Chapter 12 or 13 that paid less than the required amount.