Reaffirmation Assistance Program

Many self-represented debtors sign and file reaffirmation agreements. Most have no idea what it really means to reaffirm a debt, much less what it means to “redeem” collateral – they need help! The NDFLBBA, working with the Court, has establish the RAP (Reaffirmation Assistance Program). RAP is designed to permit attorneys to offer pro bono services  assisting debtors with issues pertaining to reaffirmation and redemption. Here’s how RAP works:

• The Court will schedule reaffirmation hearings to be held on a separate docket; normally once per month. 

• During each reaffirmation hearing docket, an attorney RAP volunteer will listen to the reaffirmation hearings via ZOOM. If it appears a debtor needs assistance, the Court will continue that debtor’s reaffirmation hearing to the next available docket. The listening volunteer attorney will contact the debtor to offer and provide appropriate reaffirmation-based assistance.1

• Unless otherwise agreed between the volunteer RAP attorney and the debtor, the volunteer attorney providing a debtor with reaffirmation-related assistance through the RAP program will not be construed by the Court to be the debtor’s attorney for purposes of 11 U.S.C. § 524(c)(3). 

• The volunteer RAP attorney will be entitled to credit toward the Florida Bar’s pro bono requirement. 

• The NDFLBBA is investigating a cooperative relationship with a legal aid society through which volunteer attorneys providing pro bono assistance and legal services through P.L.A.N. and RAP would receive the additional benefit of malpractice coverage.2 

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To volunteer for RAP (Reaffirmation Assistance Program), call 866-944-6421.

Any attorney who accepts representation through the Pro Bono Initiative, including the P.L.A.N. and RAP programs, and who appears in court on a matter related to the representation, can expect the Court to use its best efforts to call the matter as early in the calendar as possible to minimize the volunteer attorney’s wait time.