In Atlanta, bankruptcy is handled by the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  If you are considering choosing to file for bankruptcy in the Atlanta area, your first course of action should be to contact an Atlanta bankruptcy attorney. 

This professional can assist you in reviewing your own financial situation and help you determine if filing for bankruptcy is the best decision for you.  A qualified Atlanta bankruptcy lawyer can also discuss which chapter of bankruptcy is best for you to file based on your unique situation and can guide you in every step of the bankruptcy filing process. 

Remember that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and its officials are prohibited from giving any advice that may be construed as legal advice.  The only person who can offer advice on your bankruptcy filing is a licensed attorney. 

Once you and your representative determine the best course of action in your particular case, they will file a bankruptcy petition on your behalf.  Once this petition is filed, your creditors will be notified of the filing, the case number, the trustee that will oversee your case, the date assigned to the Meeting of Creditors and the deadline they must meet for filing any objections to the debts or debtors identified in your filing. 

Additionally, the creditors will be advised on their options in this case and will receive instructions regarding the process for filing an objection in this case.  If no objections are filed in your case within the time period specified, the court will proceed with the bankruptcy. 

In a chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court will issue a discharge order, non-exempt assets will be liquidated, and their proceeds will be distributed to the appropriate creditors. 

In a chapter 13 case, payments will be made to creditors as outlined in the court-approved payment plan.  Regardless of chapter, once all payments have been made, the bankruptcy case will be closed.