What is the difference between a discharge being denied and a debt being declared non dischargeable?
The court can deny the Debtor’s discharge of all debts, or determine that a particular debt or debts are non dischargeable. If the court denies the discharge of all debts, then the Debtor will still be legally responsible for all the debts as if no bankruptcy petition had ever been filed. If only certain debts are ruled non dischargeable, the Debtor will still receive a discharge order. However, the Debtor will remain legally responsible for those non dischargeable debts. For a discharge to be denied, either as to a particular debt or as to all debts, someone must file an adversary proceeding (lawsuit) with the court. That party must then prove one of the grounds for denial of the discharge or for a debt to be declared non dischargeable. See Question No. 19 (for discharge) and Question No. 15 (for discharge ability of a particular debt). If your discharge is not withheld or none of your debts is declared to be non dischargeable, then all the debts listed in your petition will be discha
