What Is Title 11 of the U.S. Code?
Title 11 of the United States Code is the federal Bankruptcy Code — the body of law that governs all bankruptcy cases nationwide. Bankruptcy is exclusively federal, so a Florida resident or business files in the United States Bankruptcy Court (for most of this region, the Middle District of Florida) under Title 11, even though Florida law still affects key issues such as exemptions.
The Main Chapters
- Chapter 7 — liquidation; non-exempt assets are sold and most remaining debts are discharged
- Chapter 13 — an individual repayment plan over three to five years, allowing the debtor to keep property
- Chapter 11 — reorganization, used mainly by businesses to restructure debt and keep operating
The Automatic Stay and Florida Exemptions
Filing under Title 11 triggers the automatic stay, which immediately halts most collection efforts, lawsuits, and foreclosures against the debtor. Florida residents also benefit from the state's strong exemptions — most notably Florida's homestead exemption, which can protect an unlimited value of a primary residence (subject to acreage limits) from most creditors in bankruptcy.
Related Terms
- Automatic Stay — The freeze on collection that bankruptcy triggers
- Homestead Protection — Florida's powerful exemption in bankruptcy
Barnes Walker
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Federal Law Reference
11 U.S.C. (Bankruptcy Code)
The federal statute governing all bankruptcy cases, including Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 individual repayment, and Chapter 11 reorganization, and the automatic stay that halts collection on filing.
Reviewed by the attorneys at Barnes Walker, Goethe, Shea & Robinson, PLLC