The filing of a bankruptcy petition is only the first step in a process toward obtaining bankruptcy relief. Please read the following information regarding your ongoing duties after a case is filed.
Open Mail Sent by the Court or Interested Parties
The Court, creditors, trustees, and interested parties will send mail to the address you listed on your petition. It is presumed that you received notices that are sent by mail, so it is important that you open and read all mail or email sent to you by the Court or other parties.
Electronic Notice of Filings. The Court has a system that allows non-attorneys to receive e-mail notification of court notices and orders. You are highly encouraged to sign up for that system.
If you are missing required documents, miss an installment payment for the filing fee, or miss certain deadlines, the Court will issue a notice, sometimes called a Notice of Deficiency. That notice will alert you to what has been missed and will often provide a deadline for getting the missing items to the Court. Pay close attention to these notices: if you do not file the appropriate document or pay your missed filing fee by the deadline in the notice, your case may be dismissed immediately.
Attend the Meeting of Creditors
Section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code requires debtors to be examined by their trustee under oath. This is known as the "341 meeting" or the "meeting of creditors." After filing, you should receive a notice from the Court with the date, time, and location of this meeting, as well as the identity and contact information for your trustee.
A 341 meeting is not a court hearing, but rather, is conducted by the trustee who asks you questions about your bankruptcy paperwork, including your property, debts, income, and/or expenses. Creditors may also join to ask questions. For more information, visit the U.S. Trustee Program’s “Section 341 Meeting of Creditors” site.
Obtain Debtor Education
To receive a discharge, individual debtors must obtain debtor education and file a certificate of completion with the Court. This is different than the first credit counseling course that you took before filing, but you may use the same agency that you used for the first course. When completed, the agency will either directly file the Certificate of Debtor Education with the Court, or the certificate will be sent to you to file. The United States Trustee office maintains a list of approved debtor education providers.