How Do I Know if My Chapter 7 Has Been Discharged?

When you file a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona, as long as your case encounters no delays, you can expect to receive your order of discharge about four months after you file.

If you have an experienced bankruptcy lawyer to represent you, like the one at Stone Rose Law, your attorney will let you know your bankruptcy discharge date. Call us at (480) 739-2448 for help with your bankruptcy.

In this post, we cover ways to find out what your Chapter 7 discharge date is.

How Am I Notified of My Bankruptcy Discharge Date?

The bankruptcy court will mail you or your bankruptcy lawyer a copy of the discharge order to inform you that your case is closed and your debt discharge has been granted. The discharge date should appear next to the judge’s signature. 

You should know your discharge date no later than a few days after the judge issues the order.

How Can I Find Out About My Bankruptcy Discharge Date On My Own?

You can represent yourself in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, although there are many good reasons to have an attorney handle your case for you.

If you choose self-representation, then alternatives to receiving a copy of your discharge order in the mail are:

• You can go to the Arizona Bankruptcy court that handled your case and view your bankruptcy files there for free. You can likely view your files electronically through a kiosk at the courthouse. You can print documents in your file for 10 cents per page.
• You can access audio information about your bankruptcy case through the Voice Case Information System.
• You can view your bankruptcy case file from home using the federal government’s PACER online information system.

What is PACER?

PACER stands for, “Public Access to Court Electronic Records.” PACER is an online electronic system for federal law public court records, including bankruptcy cases. 

Through PACER, you can view and download a copy of any record filed in connection with your bankruptcy case, including your discharge order.

How Does PACER Work?

To see your bankruptcy discharge order through PACER, you will need to create an account first.

Once you have created your account, you can look up your bankruptcy discharge order and any other documents filed in your case by doing an online search using your bankruptcy case number or your name.

How Much Does PACER Cost?

PACER charges 10 cents per page to access court documents through the system. This charge applies to the total number of pages you generate through your document search, up to $3.00 per document. PACER bills quarterly, but as long as your total fee is less than $30 during the past quarter, then the fee is waived.

• PACER is free to use if you are a party to a case and you receive a notice of docket activity from the bankruptcy court.
• PACER may be free to use if the bankruptcy court has given you a fee exemption.

In most cases, you will not incur a $30 cost to view your bankruptcy discharge order, so you should not worry about being charged to use PACER to look it up.

However, if you use PACER to deliver your documents electronically, a $30 administrative fee plus 10 cents per page for up to five documents, up to a maximum of $3.00 per document, applies.

How Long Should I Have to Wait to Know What My Bankruptcy Discharge Date Is?

Most bankruptcy cases follow a standard timeline, so unless your case encounters complications, you can get an idea of when you will receive your bankruptcy discharge date:

• After you have filed your bankruptcy petition with the bankruptcy court, the court will schedule a meeting with your creditors. This is known as a “341 Meeting.” This meeting usually happens between 30 and 45 days after the petition filing, although a party may make a motion to the court to move the meeting to a different day or place.
• Within 60 days of the 341 creditors meeting, you will need to complete an approved financial management credit counseling course. During this time, your creditors will also have the opportunity to object to the discharge of any debts.

As long as you complete the credit counseling course and no creditor raises any objections to debt discharge, then your Chapter 7 case can be eligible for discharge as early as 90 to 115 days after you file.

The bankruptcy judge may take a few extra days before signing your discharge order, so a rule of thumb is to anticipate up to 120 days, or four months, for that to happen.

What Might Delay My Bankruptcy Discharge Date?

Most bankruptcy cases go through bankruptcy court without incident or delay. In a few situations, though, circumstances can lead to the discharge date being pushed back:

• You have nonexempt property that the bankruptcy trustee must do a liquidation sale of. The longer it takes to identify and sell these assets, the longer the delay might be.
• There is other litigation ongoing in connection with your bankruptcy case. This might happen if a creditor files a complaint objecting to your debt being discharged or if the bankruptcy trustee needs to sue a third party to get access to an asset that must be liquidated.
• Your 341 meeting is continued to a later date by the Trustee. 
• You do not complete your required credit counseling within 60 days after the 341 meeting.
• You decide to enter into a reaffirmation agreement with a creditor more than 60 days after the 341 Meeting. The bankruptcy judge will need to give the court’s permission any debt reaffirmation before your discharge court order can be signed.

Talk to An Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Today

To find out how quickly you might be able to complete the process of Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona, call Stone Rose Law at (480) 739-2448 or our contact form. In a free consultation, we can help you assess your debts and get started with the bankruptcy process.