In 2005, Congress made sweeping changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, primarily in connection with consumer bankruptcy. In general, the new law makes consumer bankruptcy more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Still, Chapter 7 relief is still available for 90 to 95% of the consumers who need it. Those who are not eligible for Chapter 7 may be able to find relief by way of a Chapter 13 payment plan bankruptcy, paying back in most cases a small fraction of what is actually owed.