Under the Bankruptcy Code after the 2005 act, what must Janet do before filing a petition for relief under Chapter 7?
Three months ago, Janet Hart’s husband of twenty years died of cancer. Although he had medical insurance, he left Janet with outstanding medical bills of more than $50,000. Janet has worked at the local library for the past ten years, earning $1,500 per month. Since her husband’s death, Janet also receives $1,500 in Social Security benefits and $1,100 in life insurance proceeds every month, for a total monthly income of $4,100. After she pays the mortgage payment of $1,500 and the amounts due on other debts, Janet has barely enough left over to buy groceries for her family (she has two teenage daughters at home). She decides to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, hoping for a fresh start.