A very common question that we get is are bankruptcy proceedings public ? Yes, you should be able to attend most bankruptcy meetings so again are bankruptcy proceedings public yes. The only times that bankruptcy proceedings will be closed to the public are when there is a party present that has an overriding interest and could influence the outcome of the proceeding.
As far as information about your case there is also an electronic public access service called PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) that allows users to see court documents online. You have to pay to use it, so generally only people who need the information will use it to find cases. PACER is provided by the Federal Judiciary so the public can have centralized access to court information. It is available to anyone who registers for an account. However, not all information is available to the public and some information is protected by the law. Things like social security numbers, account numbers, names of minors, and the date of birth are not available to the general public. Credit reporting agencies can collect and disclose bankruptcy information to the public. Pre-2003 documents may not be available to the public through PACER. For more clarification on what sort of information you can find through PACER, click here.
There will also be a meeting called the 341 meeting because section 341 of the bankruptcy code requires the debtor to be present at this meeting so that he or she can be questioned about financial dealings, debts, and property. All creditors will be notified so they can attend, but they are not required to. If the debtor doesn’t show up then the case could be dismissed. This is not conducted at a courthouse but it is a meeting between the trustee, debtor, and any creditors that wish to attend. For more information about this public hearing, click here to be redirected to the United States Bankruptcy Court District of Utah page.
At the Law Office of Douglas Barrett we make sure that you never walk into one of these hearings alone. We will have you prepared for the hearing and you will know what to expect from the process.