Supreme Court of the United States

Hamilton, Chapter 13 Trustee v. Lanning

June 7, 2010560 U.S. 505

Summary

The Court held that a bankruptcy court calculating a debtor’s projected disposable income may account for changes in income or expenses that are known or virtually certain at confirmation. This forward-looking approach rejects a purely mechanical formula under §1325(b)(1). Justice Scalia dissented, arguing the statutory text mandates a mechanical calculation and does not permit adjustments for changed circumstances.