2. Mandatory Credit Counseling

No individual may be a debtor under title 11 unless they have, within 180 days prior to filing, received credit counseling from an “approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency”, either in an individual or group briefing. Said counseling agencies are to be approved by the U.S. Trustee. (There are exceptions where there is an emergency and the person could not receive counseling within five days, or where the U.S. Trustee has determined that the approved agencies are not adequate to provide the required counseling.) If a debt management plan is developed it must be filed with the court.