@sarge12 wrote:
@icyhot wrote:
Would it be ethical to charge things I've been needing but holding off on before I file? I know that's what got me in this predicament, but if I'm going to lose the card anyway, I may as well use it?
NOOOO IT WOULD NOT ONLY BE UNETHICAL....It will probably cause that portion of the debt to be non-dischargable, and possibly lead to dismising the bankruptcy.
Agreed, Adding new charges now when you anticipate filing for BK will cause problems. OP needs to stop using the credit cards, as in Full Stop. No rent, no groceries, Uber gas, nothing.
This is why I think it is too soon for OP to jump on the BK bus. There have not been any months of missed payments yet. OP has not switched to cash-in-hand payments yet.
It is probably best to start paying cash for the basic necessities, such as rent, food, diapers and such. Continue to make minimum payments on the cards if you can, but as cash gets earmarked for essentials rather than using credit for those essentials, late payments or missed payments may be a reality. That is one proof point for the BK court, showing you are just making minimum living costs with existing cash.
@Anonymous wrote:
@icyhot wrote:
Would it be ethical to charge things I've been needing but holding off on before I file? I know that's what got me in this predicament, but if I'm going to lose the card anyway, I may as well use it?Time to weigh in ... be very careful about charging and taking on new debt (at least until you see a licensed attorney at law in bankruptcy) as it could be construed as a potential fraud on the creditors by the Bankruptcy Court Trustee. This is where the attorney can provide you guidance. One poster mentioned you generally are able to get a first visit with an attorney for bankruptcy at no cost (free) ... this may help you to get the overall legal picture of your situation and aide you with enough facts as to decide what course of action is best for you and your child (may be it would not be bankruptcy?). The advice is useful. Speak with experience and it was my decision to seek BK7. It freed me from a huge amount of debt and yes I could not squeeze credit from many lenders for years afterwords (note the no credit availability seems to be somewhat on a personal basis - know of some people who did not take years to re-establish themselves). Had to sign a "Reaffirmation Agreement" on the automobile and I had long since deserted owning a residential dwelling or even thinking about it. Home ownership came back much later.
That was me who gave the advice about free consultation sessions with BK attorneys. 
As far as regaining creditworthiness goes, it varies so much from person to person that giving general advice can be rather difficult sometimes. All I can do is point to my own example; I didn't seriously think about even getting a secured card until I had gotten a new full-time job and a year had passed since my BK discharge, and another year-plus passed after that before I judged based on my scores (and lenders concurred) that I could be considered a good enough credit risk again to get a Discover It and two other unsecured CC's, and a used-car loan at a decent rate. At that, I'm now gardening for another four to five months or so to let my profile build before I try any more apps, and then only for CC's that are reasonably BK-friendly/willing to approve on in-person/phone recon if initially denied online.
