While bankruptcy information is a matter of public information, this doesn’t mean that everyone you know will automatically be notified that you’ve declared bankruptcy. In fact, the information is generally shared only under limited circumstances and shouldn’t affect your interest in obtaining the financial relief you need. An experienced South Carolina bankruptcy attorney can help you better understand your options and what bankruptcy will likely mean for you.
Notice to Your Creditors
To begin, your creditors will be informed that you are pursuing bankruptcy from the start. In the process of filling out the bankruptcy petition, you’ll be required to list everyone to whom you owe money. From here, the court will notify your creditors – who are entitled to attend your Meeting of Creditors, which is a meeting you’re required to attend and answer the questions posed to you regarding your bankruptcy.
At the Meeting of Creditors, you – along with your practiced bankruptcy attorney – and any creditors who choose to attend will have the opportunity to discuss the details of your filing. If your creditors have objections, they can voice them at this juncture, and while the public can attend, no postings, announcements, or invitations are made.
The Court’s Record System
Once you submit your bankruptcy petition, it becomes public information when the court uploads your documents and schedules them into its Pacer system, which is the federal government’s program for all court documents. While this information can be accessed by the public, those interested need to know what they’re looking for and must create a Pacer account and pay a small fee per viewed page to do so. In other words, John Q. Public is unlikely to know that you’ve filed for bankruptcy unless they have a keen interest in the topic and do some serious searching.
It’s time to Consult with an Experienced South Carolina Bankruptcy Attorney
The compassionate South Carolina bankruptcy attorneys at Reed Law Firm understand your desire to maintain privacy to the degree possible in the face of bankruptcy, and we are committed to helping you make that happen. Our trusted legal team’s focus is helping you obtain the financial relief you need while helping you maintain your privacy and move forward toward a brighter financial future. For more information about what we can do to help, please don’t delay contacting us online or calling us at 803-784-1517 in Columbia, South Carolina, and at 843-920-2094 in Florence, South Carolina, today.
