Research FAQ's: Bankruptcy Law

The Law Library Staff prepares "Research Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs) for the convenience of our users to provide access to a variety of sources addressing particular points of law. These are general legal information sources, and are not to be construed as a substitute for personal legal advice from an attorney. Please seek legal counsel to help you determine the applicability of any of the information in these resources to your specific situation. The Law Library makes no recommendation as to whether you should purchase any services offered by the websites contained in this FAQ.

Court and Government Web sites

• U.S. Bankruptcy Courts: Bankruptcy forms, bankruptcy basics, links to the Federal Bankruptcy Courts in various state. Information on how to access electronic dockets.

• Ohio Northern District Bankruptcy Court: FAQs, fee schedules, court rules, unclaimed funds search and court information. PACER provides web access to docket information. Members of the general public can subscribe to PACER.U.S. Trustee's Office

• U.S. Trustee's Office: See especially "About Bankruptcy & The United States Trustee's Program" and "Bankruptcy Fact Sheets and Consumer Notices".

• U.S. Trustee's Office: Regional

Forms

• U.S. Courts

• Bankruptcy Forms

• Upsolve: Online, automated, self-help forms for free

• Ohio Forms Page

Federal Statutes

• U.S. Code Title 11

Articles, FAQs and Link Pages

• Bankruptcy from Lawyers.com

• Daily Legal News

• Bankruptcy Database: Database for northern Ohio bankruptcy filings. Search by debtor name.

• Cleveland Legal Aid Society: Bankruptcy FAQ

• NOLO: Bankruptcy Center

• American Bankruptcy Institute: Bankruptcy cases, new bankruptcy statutes, bankruptcy news.

• Ohio Bankruptcy.com: FAQs, alternatives to bankruptcy, exemptions (property you can keep if you declare bankruptcy).

• Upsolve.org: How to file for Bankruptcy in Ohio for free.

Findlaw:

• Findlaw Consumer Law Center: Articles, FAQs, forms and web sites. This page is geared toward the lay person.

• Findlaw: Legal Subjects: Bankruptcy: Links for finding a bankruptcy lawyer, government websites, commercial sites and more. See especially the "Bankruptcy in Brief" article, which gives an overview of bankruptcy law.

• LII - Law About - Bankruptcy: Contains an article providing a short overview of bankruptcy law, as well as links to statutes, regulations, and court decisions.

How to Find Whether an Company or Individual Filed for Bankruptcy

• Pacer CM/ECF method: Search for the name of the person or company on Pacer (subscription required). You will be charged seven cents a page for search results. Most, but not all bankruptcy courts are on Pacer. It may help to limit your search to the state the person resides or state the business is incorporated. A Database such as 

• Mergent Online can help in finding the state of incorporation. The company's webpage may also indicate the state of incorporation.

• Bankruptcydata.com: Search engine for "major bankruptcies" since 1986.

• Daily Legal News: Bankruptcy search for northern Ohio.

Articles and Webpages Focusing on Creditor's Rights

• U.S. Department of Labor: Your Employer's Bankruptcy - How Will It Effect Your Employee Benefits?

• Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center: Employer Bankruptcy, Sale, or Abandonment

• FreeAdvice Legal: Bankruptcy Debt & Collections

• Moran Law Group: Creditor's Rights in Bankruptcy.