How Do I Check on the Status of My Bankruptcy?
When you file bankruptcy, you are creating a public record. On the downside, this means that anyone who has the means is entitled to view all of your bankruptcy records, including the financial information you included in your petition. On the upside, this means that tracking the progress of your case is relatively easy. Depending on whether you hired an attorney to assist you with your case, you can either go through your attorney's office or find out the information on your own.
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Instructions
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Call your attorney. If you hired an attorney to file your bankruptcy, you should be able to ask him questions about your case. Considering that you probably had to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for his representation, you should be kept informed about the progress of your case. Don't hesitate to call your attorney's office and ask for an update on your case status, particularly if you are involved in time-sensitive matters such as responding to an adversarial proceeding. If your attorney isn't personally aware of any developments in your case, he has the ability to find out that information on your behalf.
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Call the bankruptcy clerk. The bankruptcy clerk where you filed your petition has access to every bankruptcy case. While they are not allowed to offer any legal guidance, bankruptcy clerks can provide information on administrative matters, such as the status of your case. You should be able to get the information you need from the bankruptcy clerk; however, he is also responsible for processing bankruptcy petitions all day and may not always have time to deal with your request immediately.
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Check PACER. As a bankruptcy case is a public record, the government publishes information about all bankruptcy cases electronically for those who know where to look. Using the acronym PACER, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system contains information on every court case in the system. Once you create a free account (see Resources), you can type in relevant information about your case, such as your case number or Social Security number, and locate the docket for your case. The website will both list relevant timelines for your case and publish every document attributed to the case, such as your actual petition and any subsequent motions or proceedings. While the account is free, the service charges 8 cents for every page you view. If you do not exceed $10 in charges in any one quarter, the court waives your fees.
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