No.

A bankruptcy case is a legal proceeding affecting the rights of debtors, creditors and other parties in interest. Pursuant to 28 United States Code § 955, the Clerk's Office staff is prohibited from giving information which may be characterized as legal advice.

Contact the trustee assigned to the case.

You may mail or fax (319-286-2280) a written request. Please include the case name, case number and the title of the specific document(s) you wish to have certified. In addition, please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. A certification fee per document and a photocopy fee will apply. In some instances, a per item search fee may be charged. See the Filing Fee Schedules for estimated costs. 

You may also contact the Clerk's Office at (319)286-2200 or (712) 233-3939 to make your request or to confirm the payment owed.

Payment must be in the form of either a bank cashier's check or money order made payable to: United States Bankruptcy Court.  No personal checks will be accepted. Alternatively, payment can be made through our Online Payment Program.

The original petition is filed with the Clerk’s Office. If you wish to have a "date stamped" copy returned to you, please enclose an extra copy (self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage is required if returned via U.S. mail).

The following link to the Bankruptcy Fraud Hotline contains information for reporting bankruptcy fraud.

No. The Bankruptcy Rules prohibit any "ex parte" contact (communication between just you and the judge) with the Court in order to preserve the integrity of the Court and to prevent the appearance of any impropriety or allegations of preferential treatment for any party. The only time you may speak to the judge is when you are in the courtroom for a hearing in your case.

The Local Rules are the rules governing practice in the Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Iowa in addition to the Federal Bankruptcy Rules. Local Rules are available on this site

The Bankruptcy Code is divided into several chapters. When a debtor files a case, the debtor elects which chapter he or she will proceed. The different chapters have varying procedures for repaying debt and obtaining a discharge.

Chapter 7: Often called the "liquidation chapter," Chapter 7 cases may be filed by individual or non-individuals (corporations or partnerships). There is no debt limitation under Chapter 7; however, certain individuals may not be eligile for Chapter 7 relief under the "Means Test."  Under Chapter 7, a trustee is appointed to collect and sell all property that is not exempt and to use any proceeds to pay creditors. In the case of an individual, the debtor is allowed to claim certain property as exempt. In exchange for this, the debtor gets a discharge, which means that the debtor does not have to pay certain types of debts. Corporations and partnerships do not receive discharges. Consequently, any individuals legally liable for the partnership's or corporation's debts will remain liable. Therefore, individual bankruptcies may be required as well as the corporation or partnership bankruptcy.

Chapter 11: Chapter 11 and the remaining chapters of the Bankruptcy Code offer the debtor a chance to reorganize through a repayment plan. Creditors vote on whether to accept or reject a plan of reorganization, which must be approved by the court. While the debtor normally remains in control of the assets in a Chapter 11, the court can convert the case to a Chapter 7 case or order the appointment of a trustee in certain circumstances. In addition to the filing fee paid to the bankruptcy clerk, a quarterly fee is paid to the U.S. Trustee in Chapter 11 cases. There is no debt limit under Chapter 11.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12 offers bankruptcy relief to individuals, corporations, or partnerships who qualify as family farmers, a term defined under the Bankruptcy Code. There are debt limitations for chapter 12, and a certain portion of the debtor's income must come from the operation of a farming business. Family farmers must propose a plan to repay their creditors over a period of time from future income, and the plan must be approved by the court. Plan payments are made through a chapter 12 trustee who also monitors the debtor's farming operations while the case is pending.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13 is the debt repayment chapter for individuals with regular income whose debts do not exceed certain limits, including individuals who operate businesses as sole proprietorships. It is not available to corporations or partnerships. Chapter 13 generally permits individuals to keep their property repaying creditors out of their future income for three to five years. Each chapter 13 debtor proposes a repayment plan which must be approved by the court. Attorney fees may be paid through the plan. The amounts set forth in the plan must be paid to the chapter 13 trustee who distributes the funds for a fee. Many debts that cannot be discharged can still be paid over time in a chapter 13 plan. After completion of payments under the plan, chapter 13 debtors receive a discharge of most debts.

The Clerk's Office provides a variety of services to the bankruptcy judges, attorneys and the public. Clerk's Office staff provide clerical and administrative support to the Bankruptcy Court by maintaining case-related files, issuing notices, collecting authorized fees, entering judgments and orders, and setting hearings. The services provided by the Clerk's Office to attorneys and the public also include responding to requests for information and making copies of papers in bankruptcy court files.

All adult visitors and unaccompanied minors will need to present valid government-issued picture identification (driver's license, state identification card, passport, or immigration card) for entry into the Court’s buildings. A valid government-issued picture identification is also required for entry into the Meeting of Creditors.

A meeting of creditors is required by Section 341 of the Bankruptcy code and the debtor is required to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to enable the appointed trustee to examine the debtor under oath regarding the information that has been filed with the Court.

Debtors have a duty to appear and testify under oath and to be questioned by the trustee at the meeting. This meeting is presided over by the trustee assigned to the case and is held approximately 20 - 40 days after a petition is filed. Individual debtors must bring a picture identification and proof of social security number to the meeting of creditors for presentation to the trustee assigned to the case. Failure to appear may result in dismissal of the case.

The trustee or a creditor may inquire about the debtor’s financial status, conduct and financial affairs, and any other matters that are relevant to the administration of the debtor’s estate, including factors which bear on an individual debtor’s right to a discharge, the dischargeability of any particular obligation, or the debtor’s claimed exemptions.

The Bankruptcy Code, Rules and Forms can be viewed on this web site or at law libraries.

The Clerk's office can answer questions about required forms and filing fees.

The bankruptcy trustee is appointed in all Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases and in some Chapter 11 cases. The trustee administers the bankruptcy estate and presides at the first meeting of creditors (also called the "341 meeting" ). In a Chapter 7 case, the trustee liquidates the debtor's assets by collecting and selling non-exempt estate property. In a Chapter 13 case, the trustee collects money from the debtor each month over a period of 3-5 years and distributes it to creditors according to the debtor's repayment plan. The trustee can require the debtor to provide information and documents before, during or after the meeting of creditors.