A discharge in bankruptcy refers to a debtor being freed from certain aspects of his or her debt obligations. Once a debt has been discharged, the creditor of the debtor is prohibited from taking any collection actions.
In the United States, an individual can file for chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy. Depending on the type of bankruptcy that is filed, debts are classified into one of two categories: dischargeable debts and nondischargeable debts. Once an individual has been discharged, he or she is no longer liable to repay the debts that have been classified as dischargeable debts. However, a valid lien can remain, which can be enforced by creditors to recover the property that is secured by the lien.