Bankruptcy Courts

The court official with decision-making power over federal bankruptcy cases is the United States bankruptcy judge, a judicial officer of the United States district court. The bankruptcy judge may select any matter connected with a bankruptcy case, such as eligibility to file or whether a debtor ought to get a discharge of debts. Much of the bankruptcy technique is administrative, however, & is conducted away from the courthouse. In cases under chapters 7, 12, or 13, & sometimes in chapter 11 cases, this administrative technique is carried out by a trustee who is appointed to oversee the case.
There is a bankruptcy court for each judicial district in the country. Each state has or more districts. There's 90 bankruptcy districts across the country. The bankruptcy courts usually have their own clerk' s offices.
A debtor' s involvement with the bankruptcy judge is usually limited. A typical chapter 7 debtor won't appear in court & won't see the bankruptcy judge unless an objection is raised in the case. A chapter 13 debtor may only must appear before the bankruptcy judge at a plan confirmation hearing. Usually, the only formal proceeding at which a debtor must appear is the meeting of creditors, which is usually held at the offices of the U.S. trustee. This meeting is informally called a " 341 meeting" because section 341 of the Bankruptcy Code requires that the debtor attend this meeting so that creditors can query the debtor about debts & property.