Information about bankruptcy cases is available publicly to anyone. All one needs to do is to visit the Clerk’s office where the case was filed. You can visit the office during regular business hours.
Unless sealed, all documents filed in a bankruptcy case are also available online on the court’s Electronic Case Filing System (ECF). This information can also be retrieved through the Multi-Court Voice Case Information System (McVCIS) and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER).
Credit reporting agencies regularly collect and disclose bankruptcy data to the public.
To find out if someone has filed for bankruptcy, one can use a search tool called the US Party/Case Index on PACER. Anyone with a valid PACER account can search the entire country or for a specific debtor. The search results will provide the party name, the case number, and the jurisdiction in which the case was filed.
If you find out that an individual or a business that owes you has filed for bankruptcy, you are advised to consult with a qualified bankruptcy attorney. Thereafter, you can complete and submit a proof of claim form with the Clerk’s office.