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Electronic Service and Notice

Parties may receive electronic service and notice in a bankruptcy case. Each time a document is filed or a text-only docket entry is made in CM/ECF, the parties who are served electronically receive an e-mail with a link to a PDF document or the docket text entry itself. Upon receipt, the party may view any associated PDF document using Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is free to download. Once the party has viewed the document, the party may save the document to a folder on his or her own computer or print it. The party's first viewing of the document is free; there is a small charge for any subsequent viewing.

Any attorney for the debtor and any case trustee will automatically receive an e-mail each time a document is filed in the case. Other parties, including the debtor, a creditor, or a creditor's attorney, must register to receive electronic service. Here is how to register for electronic service and notice:

Registration by a Debtor for Electronic Service and Notice. A debtor, including a debtor who is not represented by an attorney, may complete and file the local form "Request to Receive Electronic Notice." Click here to view the form. The advantages of receiving electronic service and notice are the debtor will receive each document in his or her bankruptcy case as soon as it is filed and the debtor may maintain an electronic file, rather than a paper file, of important documents filed in the case. When a debtor receives electronic notice, it also saves the Court, the debtor's attorney, and creditors the time and expense of serving the debtor with paper documents by mail.

Registration by a Creditor for Electronic Service and Notice. If a creditor wants to receive all documents filed in a particular case, the creditor may complete and file the local form "Request to Receive Electronic Notice." Click here to view the form. The advantages of receiving electronic service and notice are the creditor will receive each document in the bankruptcy case as soon as it is filed and the creditor may maintain an electronic file, rather than a paper file, of important documents filed in the case. When a creditor receives electronic notice, it also saves the Court, the debtor's attorney, and other creditors the time and expense of serving the creditor with paper documents by mail.

A creditor who wants to homogenize how it receives key notices in all bankruptcy cases nationwide may utilize the National Creditor Registration Service ("NCRS"). It is particularly useful for a creditor with different locations and different mailing addresses that is involved in multiple bankruptcy cases each year. Through the NCRS, the creditor can receive all key bankruptcy notices at one location through one type of service selected by the creditor. The creditor may choose electronic service to an e-mail address, service by mail at a preferred address, or service by the Bankruptcy Noticing Center's computer communicating directly with the creditor's computer through Electronic Data Interchange.

A creditor registered with the NCRS will not receive all documents filed in a bankruptcy case. Instead, the creditor will receive–in the manner it requested–all notices processed through the Bankruptcy Noticing Center, including, but not limited to, the notice of the commencement of a case, the notice of the need to file proofs of claim, and the notice of the entry of a debtor's discharge. Documents served by the case trustee, the debtor, or another creditor will still be mailed by that party to the creditor whenever service on that creditor is required. However, if the creditor has registered a preferred mailing address with the NCRS, the creditor should receive the other parties' mailed documents at the creditor's preferred mailing address. To learn more about the NCRS and the Bankruptcy Noticing Center or to register with the NCRS, click here.

Registration by an Attorney for a Creditor for Electronic Service and Notice. If an attorney for a creditor or other party in interest wants to receive electronic notice each time a document is filed in a particular bankruptcy case, the attorney may file a notice of appearance under Fed.R.Bankr.P. 9010(b) and local bankruptcy rule 9010-1. Click here to read the local rule.

If an attorney files a document in a bankruptcy case, the attorney will automatically be added to the bankruptcy case as the attorney for the party he or she represents. Thereafter, the attorney will receive an electronic notice whenever a document is filed in the case–the attorney does not need to file a separate notice of appearance.

If an attorney no longer wants to receive electronic notice of all documents filed in a particular bankruptcy case, the attorney may utilize the CM/ECF event "Request for Discontinuance of Notice (text entry only)" found under "Bankruptcy–Other."