By Ryan C. Wood

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy protection and are researching how to request an exemption or waiver of the credit counseling course requirement for some exigent circumstance, just stop now. Making this request is a huge red flag on your bankruptcy case. Stop wasting your time and go on the internet and just do yourself a favor and complete the Credit Counseling course right now. Then come back and read the rest of this article. You will thank me later. 11 U.S.C. Section 521(b) requires debtors file with the court a certificate from the approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency that provided the debtor services under Section 109(h) describing the services provided to the debtor; a Credit Counseling Certificate of completion.

If you retained a bankruptcy attorney that is recommending that you not complete the credit counseling course and request an exemption or waiver please run away from that attorney as fast as you can. Our job is not to complicate the circumstances you are already dealing with. Not completing the credit counseling course is just asking for trouble. Look, yes, there are exceptions or circumstances where an exemption or waiver can be granted, but generally requesting an exemption or waiver of the credit counseling course requirement is not normal and rare. If I see a case that involves requesting any sort of exemption or waiver, without knowing any more information than that case, I already know the case has problems and the likelihood that the bankruptcy case will go smoothly is very little.

Incapacity or Disability Pursuant to Section 109(h)(4)

Please do not confuse Exigent Circumstances with actual Incapacity or Disability. 11 U.S.C. Section 109(h) waives the credit counseling course requirement for someone who is incapacitated due to incapacity, disability, or active military duty in a military combat zone. The credit counseling course can then be waived only after notice and a hearing though. You must file and serve a motion, declaration in support and notice of the hearing date and time. You are talking about anywhere from $500.00 to $1,200.00 in additional attorneys’ fees and costs. Incapacity means that the bankruptcy filer is impaired by reason of mental illness or mental deficiency so that he is incapable of realizing and making rational decisions with respect to his financial responsibilities. Disability means that the bankruptcy filer is so physically impaired as to be unable, after reasonable effort, to participate in an in person, telephone or internet briefing required under Section 109(h)(1).

Exigent Circumstances Pursuant to Section 109(h)(3)

So, for those of you who are not incapacitated, disabled or in an active military combat zone and do not follow my advice above, the following is how to actually request an exemption or temporary waiver regarding the credit counseling course requirement due to some exigent circumstance. I am not going to get into details about what an exigent circumstance is though. I truthfully do not know of any. Ms. Lin and I have filed over a thousand bankruptcy cases and every single one of our clients was able to fulfill the requirement to complete the credit counseling course prior to the case being filed.

The Three Part Test

All three parts of the test must be completed given the language of Section 109(h)(3) provides the three parts are conjunctive, not disjunctive.

1. The bankruptcy filer’s certification must describe the exigent circumstances meriting a waiver of the credit counseling requirement. 11 U.S.C. §109(h)(3)(A)(i)

2. The certification must provide the bankruptcy filer requested credit counseling services from an approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency, but was unable to obtain the service referred to in Section 109(h)(1) during the 7-day period beginning on the date on which the bankruptcy filer made that request. 11 U.S.C. §109(h)(3)(A)(ii)

3. Then the request must be satisfactory to the court. 11 U.S.C. §109(h)(3)(A)(iii)
Part 1 and 2 will be the most difficult parts of the test to satisfy. First you have to actually have some sort of exigent circumstance that prevents you from being able to complete the credit counseling course requirement. Then the court gets to evaluate whether the exigent circumstance and request for temporary exemption or waiver is satisfactory to the court.

Your home being subject to foreclosure sale should not usually be an exigent circumstance. Some other civil court lawsuit pending in another court should not usually be an exigent circumstance. Your vehicle about to be repossessed should not usually be an exigent circumstance. Facing eviction due to an unlawful detainer suit filed against you should not usually be an exigent circumstance. Again, I cannot really say what is an exigent circumstance warranting a temporary waiver of the credit counseling course requirement. I know the following list has been denied an exemption or temporary waiver in actual cases filed.

In re Davenport, 335 B.R. 218, 221 (Bankr.M.D.Fla.2005)
In re Watson, 332 B.R. 740, 745 (Bankr.E.D.Va.2005)
In re Hubbard, 332 B.R. 285, 289 (Bankr.S.D.Tex.2005)
In re Gee, 332 B.R. 602, 604 (Bankr.W.D.Mo.2005)
In re Wallert, 332 B.R. 884, 891 (
In re LaPorta, 332 B.R. 879, 883 (Bankr.N.D.Minn.2005)

The long and the short of it is just complete the credit counseling course requirement as soon as you start considering bankruptcy as an option. It does not take that long and you may learn something that is helpful. That was the entire point of the two required courses being created to begin with. You are provided information before you can file bankruptcy in the first course then additional information in the second course to obtain a discharge in your bankruptcy case.