It is Relatively Easy to Replace a Lost Copy of Your Bankruptcy Discharge Record

It is a good idea to keep a copy of all of your bankruptcy case-related documents, particularly your discharge paperwork. However, if you lose it, it may be replaced.

When the bankruptcy process is concluded, the debtor is released from liability on a variety of debts. When the court determines the debtor has fulfilled all of his or her obligations in filing for bankruptcy protection, the discharge order is entered by the court and the debtor gets a copy of his or her discharge papers in the mail. It is wise to keep your copy of these documents.  Your Iowa bankruptcy lawyer will remind you of the importance of keeping these kinds of documents throughout your bankruptcy filing.

Remembering to keep original bankruptcy discharge papers is routine for some debtors and more difficult for others. Managing and organizing court-related documents is not something most debtors do on a regular basis. If you are a debtor who has lost your bankruptcy discharge papers, you may obtain another copy in one of three ways.  The first way to obtain copies of case-related documents is to contact your Iowa bankruptcy lawyer to see if he or she has an extra copy of the document you are seeking in the office file. 

Your second option is to contact the court where your bankruptcy petition was filed. If you want to do this in person, contact the clerk of the bankruptcy court where your bankruptcy case was filed and discharged. If you are not certain which court you need to contact, you can ask your Iowa bankruptcy attorney or search online using the PACER system. If you choose to search online, you may need to pay a fee for the clerk to search and certify your papers and have them sent to you in the mail, or you may opt to pick them up in person.

Your third option in seeking a copy of your bankruptcy case-related court documents is to go online and access the Federal Courts PACER system. The PACER system allows individuals to create a free user account prior to searching for a copy bankruptcy case-related documents, including the petition or the discharge papers. If the information is located in the database, you then have to indicate how you will pay the per-page fee in order for the information to download to your computer. If you are not the debtor listed in the document you want, you are still able to obtain a copy of any public record bankruptcy papers by speaking to the bankruptcy court clerk where you filed your bankruptcy papers.

Kevin Ahrenholz is an Iowa bankruptcy lawyer and Iowa bankruptcy attorney. To contact him, visit https://www.iowachapter7.com or call 1.877.888.1766.