Michigan Journal of International Law Volume 26 Issue 2 2005 La Responsabilisation de L'economie: What the United States Can Learn from the New French Law on Consumer Overindebtedness Jason J. Kilborn Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjil Part of the Bankruptcy Law Commons, Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Consumer Protection Law Commons, and the Legislation Commons Recommended Citation Jason J. Kilborn, La Responsabilisation de L'economie: What the United States Can Learn from the New French Law on Consumer Overindebtedness, 26 MICH. J. INT'L L. 619 (2005). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjil/vol26/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Michigan Journal of International Law at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Journal of International Law by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. LA RESPONSABILISATION DE L'ECONOMIE:t WHAT THE UNITED STATES CAN LEARN FROM THE NEW FRENCH LAW ON CONSUMER OVERINDEBTEDNESS Jason J. Kilborn* I. THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF CREDIT IN A CREDITOR-FRIENDLY LEGAL SYSTEM ......................................623 A. Deregulationof Consumer Credit and the Road to O ver-indebtedness............................................................. 624 B. A Legal System Ill-Equipped to Deal with Overburdened Consumers .................................................627 1. Short-Term Payment Deferrals ...................................628 2. Restrictions on Asset Seizure ......................................629 3. Wage Exem ptions .......................................................630 II. THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF THE FRENCH LAW ON CONSUMER OVER-INDEBTEDNESS ............................................632 A.