Are bankruptcy filings published in the newspaper? This question relates well to another one of our frequently asked questions: “are bankruptcy cases public record?” If you haven’t read the answer to that question yet, take a second to do so as it might help clear up some of your concerns about word getting around that you’re filing for bankruptcy. In answer to this specific question of whether your bankruptcy filing will be published in the newspaper, unless you own a business and the local press decides that your bankruptcy case is newsworthy, it is very unlikely that they would ever publish anything about it.
Typically, bankruptcies published by the media are those of large businesses or franchises whose filing for bankruptcies will affect a wide consumer base. Also often the area in which you live or are filing has such a large volume of people declaring bankruptcy that it would be completely impractical for a newspaper to make time and room to include all of those listings in their publication. Generally speaking, the only people who will know that you’ve filed for bankruptcy are your attorney, creditors (anyone that you owe money to), and anyone that you have told yourself. Again, if you want more details about who can access information about your filing, check out our FAQ on “are bankruptcy cases public record?”
Or, according to one website NOLO, “another way to put your fears at rest would be to call the clerk and ask about the publishing practices in your area. You can find the court’s phone number by taking these steps:
Use the Court Locator tool to find your local court. Pull up the Court Locator; select “bankruptcy court” from the drop-down menu; enter your city, state, or zip code.
Find the correct court and phone number. A list of courts will populate after you complete the above step. If you don’t know which court is correct, visit the court’s webpage. Both a link to the court’s website and the court’s phone number should appear in the list”
Are bankruptcy filings published in the newspaper? Here in Utah publishing names of those that have filed bankruptcy is uncommon. I find it more important to focus not on the past and who will know about the bankruptcy but to focus on the future. Since we cannot control the past we focus on your future and will help you plan to have a great future. #utahbkguy