Although the Act of God defense – that a defendant is insulated from liability for personal injury or property damages caused by a natural cause – is rarely used, it may become more common in the future if predictions of catastrophic weather events caused by global warming prove true.

This is the second of a two-part series to familiarize nonbankruptcy lawyers with basic bankruptcy law concepts and practices. This part focuses on specific aspects of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 proceedings and provides practice hints. Part 1 appeared in the March Wisconsin Lawyer.

Recent revelations concerning unreliable mortgage-processing methods nationwide have cast a negative light on industry practices but also opened the door to new defenses for homeowners and their lawyers involved in foreclosure actions. This article is a basic key for finding potential mortgage-document mistakes and using this information to help clients keep their homes.