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A fundamental goal of the federal bankruptcy
laws enacted by Congress is to give debtors a financial "fresh start" from burdensome debts. The Supreme Court made this point
about the purpose of the bankruptcy law in a 1934 decision:
[I]t gives to the honest but unfortunate
debtor…a new opportunity in life and a clear field for future effort, unhampered by the pressure and discouragement
of preexisting debt. Local Loan Co.
v. Hunt, 292 U.S. 234, 244 (1934). This goal is accomplished through the bankruptcy discharge, which releases debtors from
personal liability from specific debts and prohibits creditors from ever taking any action against the debtor to collect those
debts. This publication describes the bankruptcy discharge in a question and answer format, discussing the timing of the discharge,
the scope of the discharge (what debts are discharged and what debts are not discharged), objections to discharge, and revocation
of the discharge. It also describes what a debtor can do if a creditor attempts to collect a discharged debt after the bankruptcy
case is concluded
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