Unfortunately, society has put a negative connotation on the concept of bankruptcy. Even though you may desperately need to file a case, societal pressure may be the one thing that is making you hesitant. That is, you may not want to carry your bankruptcy incident around for the rest of your life. Ultimately, you may not want to hurt your reputation amongst your family members, peers, colleagues, and other important people in your life. With all that being said, read on to discover whether your bankruptcy case will become a public record and how a seasoned Rockland County bankruptcy attorney at The Law Offices of Allen A. Kolber, Esq., P.C. can help you understand what outcome to expect.
Is bankruptcy a public record in New York State?
You may not want to accept this fact, but your bankruptcy filing may be a matter of public record in New York State. This is because, evidently, your bankruptcy case is considered to be a court proceeding. And all court documentation is typically made public information. Further, an interested party may access your bankruptcy records online through Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Or, they may visit the clerk’s office at any bankruptcy court in New York State.
What information is and is not accessible in my bankruptcy public record?
You may rest easier knowing that not every detail related to your bankruptcy may be made accessible through the public record. That is, the information that may be included in the public record may only consist of the following:
- Your full, legal name.
- The full, legal name of the judge who handled your bankruptcy case.
- The full, legal name of the attorney who represented you in your bankruptcy case.
- The full, legal name of the trustee assigned to your bankruptcy case.
- The exact date on which you initially filed your bankruptcy claim.
- The exact type of bankruptcy you filed for (Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13, etc).
- The official documents, petitions, and motions filed throughout your bankruptcy case.
- The case number for your bankruptcy case.
- The current status of your bankruptcy case (i.e., dismissed, ongoing, completed, etc).
Overall, this is to say that the public record will not disclose any piece of information that you would likely not want anyone else to know or that would likely be dangerous if anyone else knew. For example, your minor children’s full, legal names will not be included. Also, your Social Security number will not be publicized. And only the last four digits of your financial accounts will be revealed.
At the end of the day, if you have any lingering doubts about your bankruptcy filing, a competent Rockland County bankruptcy attorney can help relieve them. So whenever you are ready to start, please reach out to The Law Offices of Allen A. Kolber, Esq., P.C.
