Chapter 13 bankruptcy, or a “wage earner’s plan,” is a proceeding under federal law in which individuals or married couples with regular income develop a plan to repay all or part of their debts. Under this chapter, a repayment plan is proposed to make monthly installment payments through a trustee to creditors over 3 to 5 years. Once a proposed plan is confirmed, creditors must accept the terms of repayment. During this time the law also forbids creditors from starting or continuing collection efforts such as garnishments or lawsuits. In a Chapter 13 case, the debtor usually keeps all of their property.