Supreme Court

Anna Nicole Smith will live forever in stunning new Supreme Court decision in Stern v. Marshall!

06/24/11

The Supreme Court issued a second opinion arising from the seemingly endless litigation over claims against the estate of the late Pierce Marshall (Anna Nicole’s elderly husband of one year before his death).  In this 5-4 split opinion released yesterday (June 23, 2011), the Supreme Court significantly limited the scope of Bankruptcy Courts’ jurisdiction to [...]

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Supreme Court Rules That Debtor Must Have Loan or Lease Payment for Means Test Deduction

01/11/11

In an 8-1 decision authored by Justice Kagan, the Supreme Court ruled today that an ownership expense is not "applicable" under the Means Test unless the Debtor has an actual payment. Ransom v. FIA Card Services, No. 09-907 (1/11/11). You can read the opinion here.

Justice Kagan framed the issue in this manner:

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Supreme Court Grapples With the Meaning of the Means Test

12/16/10
The first case argued before the Supreme Court this term was No. 09-907, Ransom v. FIA Card Services, N.A. You can find the transcript of the oral argument here. This case raises the issue of whether Courts should give the means test a literal interpretation or follow a more functional approach.
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