One of the main goals to achieve in a bankruptcy case is to receive a discharge. A discharge is normally a single sheet of paper that indicates the elimination of all of your “dischargeable” debts. The entry of your discharge relieves you from personal liability for most debts.
In a Chapter 7 case the discharge is entered following the expiration of the deadline for creditors to file any complaints objecting to the overall discharge or the discharge of their specific debt. Complaints must be filed within 90 days from the date the case is filed. The Bankruptcy Code sets out the grounds for objecting to the discharge, but very generally speaking most of the grounds are based upon bad conduct of the debtor. If no creditor or party in interest files a complaint then the debtor is entitled to entry of the discharge. So in a Chapter 7 case the discharge is normally entered about four to five months after filing.
In Chapter 13 cases the entry of the discharge comes at the conclusion of the case. Chapter 13 plans are typically between 36 to 60 months long. The debtor is required to make all plan payments before the discharge is entered. So, if the plan is 60 months long the discharge will not be entered until more than five years down the road.