How do I know that my bill will be paid?

Generally speaking, the case Trustee does not know if there will be funds with which to pay creditors until at, or sometimes after, the meeting of creditors. So long as the Debtor has listed a particular bill as being due, and has listed the name and address of the one who is owed the money, the creditor will receive a claim form in the mail. The claim form will be mailed only after the Trustee tells the court that there may be money with which to pay creditors.

If you are a creditor and would like to make certain that the Debtor has listed you, please go to PACER now. If you do not have an account, you must obtain one to proceed. Registration takes only a few seconds and will cost you pennies, if anything, a year. Once you are in PACER, you should click on
  1. Case Image (right hand side)
  2. Type in case number, as in 04-00000.
  3. Reports (top)
  4. Creditor Matrix
If you are listed in the creditor matrix, you will receive a claim form when and if one is mailed.

If you believe you are owed money and are either not listed or your name or your address is not correct, some of your options are:
  1. Notify the Debtor's attorney of the error
  2. Obtain a Proof of Claim form from the court's website; read the instructions; complete the form; and mail the form, in duplicate, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

    Clerk of the US Bankruptcy Court
    7th Floor
    219 South Dearborn Street
    Chicago, IL 60604

    (Note: For those users who file electronically, your options include electronic filing of the Proof of Claim form.)
  3. Request that the Clerk stamp a copy of the claim form and return the duplicate to you. Keep the stamped copy for your records.
  4. You may also go to the Clerk's Office in person.


Copyright © 2004 Law Office of Deborah K. Ebner