Exempt property, under the law of

property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, r ...

in many jurisdictions, is property that can neither be passed by will nor claimed by

creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

s of the deceased in the event that a decedent leaves a surviving spouse or surviving descendants. Typically, exempt property includes a family

car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

, and a certain amount of cash (perhaps $10,000-$20,000), or the equivalent value in personal property. Exempt property calculations and provisions are determined on a state-by-state basis. This is important within the bankruptcy process, and may affect an individual's decision to file

Chapter 7 Chapter 7 may refer to: Albums * ''Chapter Seven'' (album), a 2013 album by Damien Leith. *''Chapter VII'', a 1973 album by drummer Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drum ...

Chapter 13 Title 11 of the United States Code sets forth the statutes governing the various types of relief for bankruptcy in the United States. Chapter 13 of the United States Bankruptcy Code provides an individual with the opportunity to propose a plan of ...

bankruptcy. State exemptions vary from strict to generous. For example, Texas is more lenient in allowing your homestead and up to $60,000 in personal property. Texas also exempts certain investments and insurance policies. Other states, such as Arizona, are more strict and may exempt only $150 in a checking account comparatively speaking. Even further, other states have more moderate policies, with California's homestead exemption law providing between $300,000 to $600,000 of exempt equity in a homestead, depending on the county where the debtor is located.

References

Property law Wills and trusts {{Law-term-stub