Completing Your Plan
The full discharge under Section 1328(a) is awarded after the debtor completes all payments required by the confirmed plan. This is the standard path -- 3 to 5 years of payments, then discharge.
Before receiving the discharge, the debtor must also complete a debtor education course (post-filing financial management course) and certify that all domestic support obligations are current.
What Gets Discharged
The 1328(a) discharge covers most debts included in the plan, with exceptions listed in 1328(a)(1) through (4). Debts excepted from discharge include domestic support obligations, certain taxes, student loans (usually), and debts from fraud or willful injury (post-BAPCPA).
The scope of the Chapter 13 discharge is narrower than it was before BAPCPA 2005, but it still covers the majority of consumer debts.
Requirements Summary
Complete all plan payments as confirmed by the court.
Complete the debtor education course and file the certificate.
Certify that all domestic support obligations are current.
File the appropriate discharge forms with the court.
Screen your discharge eligibility
Free 1328(f) Screener