An injunction that protects you from your creditors. It happens immediately and “automatically” at the moment you file your bankruptcy petition. This injunction is not permanent and in particular cases some creditors (like mortgage holders or vehicle lien creditors) can obtain “relief” from the stay so that they can retake possession of their loan collateral when the debtor can’t afford to make the payments. Nevertheless, this automatic stay promptly stops foreclosures, the IRS, repossessions, lawsuits, collection phone calls and other actions to collect debts.