Discharge from bankruptcy meaning

Under section 279(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) A bankrupt is released from bankruptcy automatically at the expiry of one year starting on the date the bankruptcy order is made, pursuant to section 279(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986). In some circumstances, however, it is preferable to apply to the court for an order suspending that automatic discharge. This concise checklist and timetable addresses applications to suspend automatic discharge from bankruptcy, outlining each stage from preparing the application for issue through to the making of the suspension from discharge order, together with matters to be dealt with after the order is made. The checklist and timetable do not apply to criminal bankruptcies under IA 1986, ss 264 and 280, nor to applications by the official receiver (OR) under the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (IR 2016), SI 2016/1024, r 10.104(5) following the adjournment of a public examination. Step/action Time (days) Section/rule 1...

Annulment: payment in full Under section 282 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986), a bankrupt may apply to have their bankruptcy annulled where they can discharge in full, and in particular in their entirety, the bankruptcy estate’s costs, expenses and claims, or, alternatively, provide security for those sums, as applicable. This Checklist and timeline sets out the procedure for annulment applications on this basis, identifying each step sequentially after settlement of the estate’s costs, expenses and claims, from payment through to the making of the annulment order, together with the matters that must be addressed once the order has been made, thereafter. It shows the stages in order. This Checklist and timeline does not apply to, or address, applications brought on the alternative ground in IA 1986, s 282(1)(a), namely a contention that the bankruptcy order should not have been made. For a Checklist and timeline dealing with applications on that alternative basis, see: Summary checklist and timeline for annulment applications where bankruptcy order ought not...

Step/action Time (days) Section/rule Where a bankrupt’s automatic discharge from bankruptcy has been suspended by an order under section 279(3) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986), the bankrupt may apply to remove that suspension. This summary provides a checklist and timeline for applications seeking to lift a bankrupt’s suspension from discharge, setting out the stages from preparing the application for issue, through to the making of the order lifting the suspension, and the matters to address once the order is made... For further guidance on a bankrupt’s discharge, and any suspension of that discharge, see: Practice Note: Discharge from bankruptcy Practice Note: Applying to lift an order suspending discharge from bankruptcy Summary checklist and timeline for a suspension of automatic discharge from bankruptcy application 1.

In this issue: Trusts Court of Protection UK taxes for Private Client HMRC Manuals updates Insolvency—Private Client Charity and philanthropy Contentious trusts and estates Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland International Question of the week Daily and weekly news alerts LexTalk®Private Client: a Lexis®PSL community New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Latest Q&A Useful information Trusts Companies House publishes guidance on removal of overseas entities from register Companies House has issued guidance setting out the process for taking an overseas entity off the Register of Overseas Entities. It applies where the entity no longer holds registered title to UK land or property acquired on or after 1 January 1999 in England and Wales, 8 December 2014 in Scotland, and 5 September 2022 in Northern Ireland. The guidance confirms the entity must have disposed of all UK property or land, and the transfer of ownership...

Boris Franz Becker (a bankrupt) v Ford and others [2024] EWHC 1001 (Ch), [2024] All ER (D) 11 (May) What are the practical implications of this case? The ruling offers a clear distillation of the approach reflected in the authorities reviewed by Chief ICC Judge Briggs, summarised as: If the court has previously found non-compliance warranting a suspension of discharge, it should likewise be persuaded that the bankrupt has later co-operated to a level aligned with his duties under the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986). As a rule, the court will attach proper weight to a report from the official receiver or the trustee; as officers of the court, they possess insight into the bankruptcy and can brief the court on the bankrupt's conduct. Co-operation exists on a sliding scale: at one end sit bankrupts who are maximally obstructive with the aim of thwarting the trustee's inquiries; at the other are those broadly co-operative who nonetheless have not fully met their obligations... ...

Restructuring & Insolvency weekly highlights—13 June 2024 In this issue: Insolvency litigation Corporate insolvency processes Personal insolvency Restructuring Directors and insolvency International restructuring & insolvency R&I in Scotland Daily and weekly news alerts Key dates for R&I professionals Insolvency litigation BHS directors to pay liquidators £27m for wrongful trading Law360: On 11 June 2024, a London judge directed two former directors of the collapsed retailer BHS to pay £13.5m each to the liquidators, having determined they knew the company was beyond recovery when it was acquired in 2015. See News Analysis: BHS directors to pay liquidators £27m for wrongful trading and [2024] EWHC 1417 (Ch). Declaration of trust held to be a transaction defrauding creditors (Wade v Singh) The liquidators sought to enforce a judgment against a property jointly owned by the judgment debtor and his daughter-in-law. The application for an order for sale was opposed on the footing that the...

A bankrupt is discharged from bankruptcy one year after the bankruptcy begins, unless the court suspends that discharge because the bankrupt has failed to co-operate with the official receiver (OR) or the trustee in bankruptcy (trustee) (IA 1986, s 279). On discharge, the disqualifications and restrictions that apply to an undischarged bankrupt come to an end. For further detail on those disqualifications and restrictions, see Practice Note: The immediate effects of a bankruptcy order on the bankrupt. What is the bankruptcy restrictions regime and why was it introduced? In cases where bankruptcy is not the product of honest misfortune, but arises from the bankrupt’s misconduct or recklessness, it is regarded as appropriate that the bankruptcy disqualifications and restrictions should continue for longer than one year, to protect the public interest and act as a deterrent. Accordingly, the Enterprise Act 2002 (EnA 2002) introduced a new section (IA 1986, s 281A) and a Schedule (IA 1986, Sch 4A) into the IA 1986, so that, from 1 April 2004, the...

This Practice Note considers undertakings in the context of interim injunctions This Practice Note explores undertakings within the setting of interim injunctions. For guidance on undertakings given other than in that context, see: Undertakings—overview concerning solicitors’ undertakings Practice Note: Undertakings (covenants) for contractual undertakings in a banking context Practice Note: Enforcement of undertakings which concerns enforcement of undertakings in a family law context Bankruptcy restrictions orders and undertakings—overview for bankruptcy undertakings It addresses interpretation and practical use of the relevant provisions of the CPR. Depending on the court seised of your case, additional requirements may apply—see the court specific guidance below. For general material on interim injunctions, consult: Interim injunctions—the American Cyanamid guidelines Interim injunctions—on notice applications Interim injunctions—without notice applications Interim injunctions—drafting the order Unless otherwise indicated, the authorities and issues discussed chiefly concern undertakings associated with applications for a general interim injunction. The core principles, however, broadly extend...

For many years, debtors have relied upon trust deeds in order to reach a compromise with their creditors as an alternative to formal sequestration in Scotland (see Practice Note: Scotland: the process for applying for sequestration). Rooted in the common law, trust deeds long attracted a relatively ‘light touch’ from the courts, but the law now pays closer attention to them and to this field generally today. Accordingly, trust deeds are presently subject to markedly tighter regulation than previously in Scotland. This Practice Note outlines the key legal principles on trust deeds and the process for obtaining, and the effect of, protected status in this context too. For definitions of frequently used Scottish insolvency terminology, see Practice Note: Glossary of Scottish insolvency words and expressions therein. The Scottish government has announced a commitment to review both formal debt recovery mechanisms—diligence—and the statutory debt solutions—moratorium protection, bankruptcy, Protected Trust Deeds and the Debt Arrangement Scheme—with the aim of ‘further enhancing and improving our system’ in due...

This is a ‘new’ lease under the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 (LT(C)A 1995) Accordingly, it is presumed that the former tenant remains liable for arrears pursuant to an authorised guarantee agreement (AGA) (in relation to which, see Practice Note: Lease covenants—liability after assignment of a lease or its reversion), and that liability is subject to the provisions of LT(C)A 1995, s 17 (which has been confirmed as not relevant to this Q&A; if required, see Practice Note: Former tenants, guarantors and overriding leases). Upon discharge, the bankrupt is released from all bankruptcy debts under section 281 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986)...