Order Of Discharge For Bankruptcy
Whether you are filing a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the thing you are ultimately looking for is your discharge or what is officially termed as an Order of Discharge. This document means that that your case is over and the bankruptcy proceeding is closed. This is an important document and should be kept along with other similarly important papers. I would suggest you retain a copy of this document for ten (10) years along with a copy of your bankruptcy petition which should have been provided to you by your attorney shortly following the time of your filing.
If you have filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy, you should expect to receive your Order of Discharge somewhere between 65-75 days following your 341A hearing (also referred to as a 341A Meeting of Creditors). You will receive a copy of the order via regular mail. If for any reason you require a copy of the Order of Discharge earlier, you can contact your attorney’s office who will have received the order several days earlier by way of email from the Bankruptcy Court Clerk.
If you have filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy, you may not receive your Order of Discharge for up to several months following your last chapter 13 plan payment. The reason for this delay, versus what happens within a chapter 7 bankruptcy noted above, is the chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee has to perform a final accounting and wait for all disbursed checks issued to creditors to clear. In most instances, the Order of Discharge can be expected within approximately four (4) months following the date of the final trustee payment being made.
A copy of the Order of Discharge will also be mailed to all of the creditors listed within the petition itself. As such, its purpose is to put all parties of interest on notice that the terms of the bankruptcy filing have been completed and the bankruptcy proceeding is now closed.
