Could you please clarify two other bankruptcy terms that I have seen: "discharged" and "dismissed". Both of these terms deal with the final outcome of the bankruptcy filing, but it seems to me that they are not always used consistently.

Answer: A Discharge involves a release of a debtor from liability for certain dischargeable debts. It prevents the creditors owed those debts from taking any action to collect the debts.

A Dismissal usually occurs this way: Some Courts are examining why bankruptcy filings are taking place. Increasingly, Courts are rejecting debtors' petitions and dismissing the bankruptcy case. The Bankruptcy Court has the right to dismiss a bankruptcy filing if it believes that granting the debtor a discharge would abuse the intent of the bankruptcy code.