The United States Bankruptcy Court has jurisdiction over all claims of bankruptcy by individuals and corporations. Although representation by an attorney is not required to file for bankruptcy, many claimants retain counsel for their services. However, you may not be aware of the status or the date your attorney filed your petition for bankruptcy. Because bankruptcy claims are a matter of public record, you are able to research filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court through the online Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.
Access the PACER online registration form to register an account. To create an account, you will need to provide your personal contact information, including your name, address, phone number and email address, as well as your credit card information.
Log in to your PACER account with the username and password you created during registration.
Select the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the state where you live.
Select the "Query" option from the toolbar at the top of the screen and enter your first, middle and last names.
Press the "Run Query" button to initiate the search.
Review the list of records for any docket entries matching your name.
Select your name and review the docket report for a document titled "Notice of Bankruptcy." The notice will identify when the bankruptcy was filed.
