ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code

Okay kiddo, so you know how sometimes people or companies owe lots of money to lots of different people, but they just can't afford to pay it all back? That can be a really big problem and it can make things really hard for everyone.

So, the United States came up with a law called Chapter 7, Title 11 of the United States code to help with this problem. This law is for people or companies who are really struggling with money and can't pay back all the debts they owe.

Under this law, people or companies can file something called a bankruptcy petition, which is like asking for help from a special court. If the court agrees that they are in really big financial trouble, they might be able to get some of their debts cleared, which means they don't have to pay them back.

But it's not that simple, kiddo. In exchange for getting some debts cleared, they might have to sell some of their stuff to pay back what they can, and they might not even get to keep everything they own. The court will decide what they can keep and what they have to sell.

There are also lots of rules and lots of paperwork to fill out to be eligible for this kind of help, and it can all be really confusing and stressful.

Overall, Chapter 7, Title 11 of the United States code is a law that helps people or companies who are in really bad financial trouble, but it also involves giving up some things and can be a long and difficult process.