Photo of Erin Malone-Smolla

Erin Malone-Smolla joined the firm as an associate in the Litigation and Bankruptcy Practice Groups.

Erin graduated from Duke University School of Law, where she was managing editor of the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy. She also earned a Master of Education degree from Lipscomb University and a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University.

One of the first things creditors ask after filing a proof of claim is, “when do I get paid?” As with so many other legal questions, the answer is, “it depends.” Although many different factors govern payment in a bankruptcy proceeding, there are four key elements to payment: proof, allowance priority, and timing.

Below, we

Bankruptcy is primarily about “claims.” The debtor seeks to discharge personal liability on claims, while creditors seek payment on their claims. In basic terms, a bankruptcy “claim” is a right to payment. The claim does not need to be fixed, settled, undisputed, or due at the time the debtor files his bankruptcy petition. The official

Bradley’s Bankruptcy Basics: How to File a Proof of Claim 101You just heard that a customer has filed for bankruptcy — what do you do now? One of the first steps is to determine whether you should file a proof of claim.

How will I be alerted about the bankruptcy?

When a bankruptcy case is filed, the debtor is required to list all of his

Bankruptcy. The arrival of that notice stating a customer has filed for bankruptcy can evoke less-than-ideal responses: forwarding the notice to someone else who might know what to do with it (resulting in the notice ending up in a forever loop of being forwarded along); immediately writing off the account and cutting your losses; or,

Student Loans in Bankruptcy: What’s on the Horizon?Federal law has long excepted student loans from discharge in bankruptcy in all but the rarest instances, recognizing the problems (and costs) associated with allowing borrowers to wipe out defaulted debts through a bankruptcy filing. However, as the issues of access to college and affordability become frequent topics in political discourse, new ideas for radical

The American Bankruptcy Institute’s Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy  released its Final Report and recommendations on April 12, 2019. The commission was created in 2016 to research ABI Commission’s Final Report on Consumer Bankruptcy Issues, What Creditors Need to Knowand develop recommendations to improve the consumer bankruptcy system. During its review, the commission focused on new trends regarding how Americans are incurring debt. At the conclusion of its