Can you file more than once? The short answer is yes. These are referred to as an area as "repeat filings" or "multiple discharges." There are only a few rules that will prevent you from simply filing another bankruptcy case, but there is a catch. You might be able to file a new bankruptcy case only to discover that the second bankruptcy doesn't do you much good.
The goal of most bankruptcy cases is to get a "discharge" (forgiveness) of some or all the debt obligations. There are other legitimate goals, of course, like stopping a foreclosure or stripping a second mortgage lien, but the most common goal of filing a bankruptcy is to obtain a discharge. That's where the rules about multiple bankruptcies kick in. If you don't wait long enough between bankruptcy cases, you may discover that you are not eligible for a discharge in your new case. Timing is everything in repeat bankruptcy filings.
Click on this graphic and zoom for a flow chart where you can use simple yes / no answers to analyze a second filing.
Let's dispense with the first minor hurdle of finding out whether you can re-file for bankruptcy right now. This is determined by the "Prior Dismissal No-File Rule."
You can see that this rule only applies where your prior case was dismissed. There is another circumstance that can prevent you from filing another bankruptcy case and that is where a bankruptcy judge has entered a special order specifically forbidding you from doing so.
A lot of people wonder how long they must wait before they can get another discharge. If you did not receive a discharge in your prior bankruptcy case and your case was not dismissed for the reasons stated above then you have no waiting period and can file immediately. Otherwise, your waiting period depends on what Chapter you want to file now and what Chapter you filed in the past.
You will see the different bankruptcy chapter combinations and remember the number of years means the minimum time that must transpire between filing dates of the two cases in order for your new case to be eligible for a discharge.
There is one more thing to consider in your second case and that is the effect of the prior case on the automatic stay in the new case. This comes up only where the prior case was dismissed, but the dismissal for purposes of the automatic stay can be a dismissal for any reason, not just the once listed at the top of this article.