I am thinking about chapter 7. My girlfriend moved in with me. All the bills are in my name. Will I need to include my girlfriend's info on the bankruptcy schedules because she is living with me?
-- Anonymous
A.
The means test looks at your income for the six full months before you filed bankruptcy and includes as part of your income any money that anyone else contributed to the household expenses during that period. If you were married, all of the non filing spouse's income would be initially included in the calculation. For unmarried people, only the non filer's cash contribution to common expenses is part of the calculation.
This part of the new bankruptcy law is not real clear, and courts are struggling with exactly how it is supposed to work. An experienced bankruptcy lawyer can explain the approach of your local courts and the range of possible answers to your question.
