4XH Logistics Layoffs: Bankruptcy Timing Tips for Workers

4XH Logistics, a freight and delivery company serving the San Antonio area, has announced plans to lay off 230 employees between November 6 and November 19, according to a notice filed with the Texas Workforce Commission and reported by KENS 5. The layoffs arrive as unemployment in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area climbed to 4.7 percent in July, up from 3.8 percent in April, based on preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. In response, Leinart Law Firm is advising affected workers who carry credit card debt and other balances to carefully review the timing of any bankruptcy filing before their last day of work. A bankruptcy lawyer in San Antonio, TX can explain how recent wages affect Chapter 7 eligibility.

The firm notes that for workers considering Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the timing of a layoff is critical because the federal means test relies on current monthly income, defined in 11 U.S.C. § 101(10A). Income from nearly all sources is averaged over the six full calendar months before the filing month, meaning wages received before a layoff remain in the average until their month leaves the window; a final paycheck received in November 2026 counts in any case filed through May 2027. That average is multiplied by 12 and compared to the Texas median family income for the same household size. A filer at or below the median passes the means test without further calculation, while a filer above the median completes a second calculation that subtracts allowed living expenses and may favor a Chapter 13 repayment plan instead.

However, waiting for higher-income months to leave the window is not always practical. A creditor lawsuit, a scheduled foreclosure sale, or a repossession can make an earlier filing the better choice because the automatic stay halts most collection activity on filing. Marcus Leinart, founder of Leinart Law Firm, said, “A layoff changes a household's finances right away, but the means test reflects that change gradually over six months. We review each month in that window with a client so the filing date accounts for both the income calculation and what creditors are already doing.” Leinart Law Firm represents individuals and families across Texas in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases and in matters involving foreclosure, repossession, wage garnishment, and credit card debt. Founded in 2005 by Marcus Leinart, who earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law and has held a Texas law license since 1995, the firm has offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, and consultations can be scheduled online.