The two most common types of bankruptcy available are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Under Chapter 7 you receive a discharge of most types of unsecured debts like credit cards and medical bills without any payments and you keep paying on, or reaffirm, secured debts that you choose to keep like your home or car. Under Chapter 13 you make a monthly payment to a court appointed trustee to pay some or all of your debts back based on what you can afford to pay, with direct payment by you of some debts like your home or car that you want to keep. There are advantages and disadvantages to each chapter depending on your circumstances, and you should therefore talk to an attorney that does both kinds of cases.