Family Budget Calculator

Whether justifying a Client's expenditures for a Chapter 13 Plan, defending a "substantial abuse" motion under § 707(b), or backing yourself up with your local Trustee about what is a feasible budget in a particular area, the web site of the Economic Policy Institute is where you can look for solid data. Plug in a few variables (number of parents, number of kids) and receive an instant budget. The site also contains a wealth of other statistical information under the heading, Measuring Family Well-being, including information about trends in income, wages, taxes and health spending for middle-class families.