This is what can stop old bills from draining your paycheck, freezing your bank account, or swallowing money that should go toward rent, groceries, or recovery after an injury. A discharge of debts is a court order - usually entered in a bankruptcy case - that wipes out a person's legal duty to pay certain debts. Technically, it bars most creditors from trying to collect discharged amounts and gives the debtor a fresh start, though some obligations usually survive, such as many taxes, child support, alimony, and most student loans unless a court rules otherwise. In federal bankruptcy law, the discharge is governed mainly by 11 U.S.C. §§ 524 and 727 for Chapter 7 and 11 U.S.C. § 1328 for Chapter 13.

For an injury claim, a discharge can change the financial picture fast. If medical bills or credit-card balances tied to the accident are discharged, more of a later settlement may actually stay in your pocket. But the injury claim itself may become part of the bankruptcy estate, so timing matters.

Washington does not have its own separate discharge law; the discharge comes from federal bankruptcy court. Even so, Washington property protections under the Washington exemptions laws can work alongside a discharge to help a filer keep certain assets while getting relief from debt.