I'm a bankruptcy attorney. Debtors commonly misunderstand the difference between discharged and dismissed. For instance, Byrd's friend had a "dismissed" Chapter 13 case that paid off the creditors early. If the creditors are paid off, you get a discharge, not a dismissal. I suspect the GF actually received a discharge. A discharge is a good thing. A dismissal is a bad thing.
There is no such thing as a "withdrawn" bankruptcy. A bankruptcy is either dismissed (voluntarily or involuntarily) or discharged (completed). A voluntary withdrawal is a dismissal. A dismissal is worse than a discharge, from a credit-score standpoint. You can't get that off your credit report, unless...
...As for the case of the ex-spouse (or anyone) signing a person's name to a bankruptcy petition without that person's permission, that situation is correctable. To fix it with a CRA or other creditors, you need a Court Order from the Bankruptcy Court where the bankruptcy was filed. Contact a bankruptcy attorney in that city for more information. The ex-spouse appears to have committed a fairly serious federal crime. In the Bankruptcy Courts where I practice, the spouse would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with a fine up to $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison.
Message Edited by ByrdMan on 04-01-2009 12:29 AM