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Frequently Asked Questions/Helpful LinksFor general information regarding bankruptcy law, please visit 2. How can I get information about a case? 3. How can I obtain copies of bankruptcy documents? 4. What if the case I'm interested in is closed or archived? 7. How do I change my ECF password? 8. What is the Filing Fee for....? 9. How do I get to the Clerk's Office/Courthouse? 10. What documents are required to file Chapter....?? 11. What are the Court/Federal Holidays? 12. What is the attorney compensation for Chapter 13 cases? 13. Where can I report suspected Bankruptcy fraud or Bankruptcy crimes? 1. Where can I find out information about the new Bankruptcy Law? TheBankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on April 20, 2005, and went into effect on October 17, 2005. The bill amends Title 11 of the U.S. Code and provides for stricter bankruptcy filing requirements. Under the new law, those who have the ability to do so may be required to pay back part of their debt rather than having the debt expunged. The law also makes it more difficult for serial filers to abuse bankruptcy protection and requires more disclosure to customers by credit card companies. Parts of the new law will be enforced by the Department of Justice's United States Trustee Program. For more information on their responsibilities with regard to the law, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/. If you have questions about filing for bankruptcy, please consult with an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy law. While there is no Federal agency that provides private legal assistance, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) does fund locally-based legal aid services to people in financial need. To find the nearest LSC program, please choose your state and county information at: http://www.rin.lsc.gov/scripts/LSC/PD/PDList7.asp Should you need to contact the LSC headquarters directly, you may do so at: Legal Services Corporation If you are not eligible for legal assistance through the LSC, you may obtain a lawyer referral from the Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) program provided by your local State Bar Association office. The LRS will match you with a lawyer based upon your specific legal need. To access a directory of LRS programs by state, please visit: http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/lris/directory.html For additional information please see Bankruptcy Reform Act of 20052. How can I get information about a case? VCIS (Voice Case Information System) is available 24 hours a day by calling (501) 918-5555 or (800) 891-6741. Bankruptcy cases are public records and are available for viewing and/or printing via computers in the Clerk's Office. The charge to print documents is $ 0.10 per page. Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) provides case information and access to documents via the internet. Those with a PACER account can view, print, and/or save images of court documents using our Web PACER service. To register for PACER, go to www.pacer.uscourts.gov. The Clerk's Office staff is available to assist you from 8:00 - 5:00 on weekdays, at (501) 918-5500 or (479) 582-9800. 3. How can I obtain copies of bankruptcy documents? Bankruptcy cases are public records and are available for viewing and/or printing via computers in the Clerk's Office. The charge to print documents is $ 0.10 per page. Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) provides case information and access to documents via the internet. Those with a PACER account can view, print, and/or save images of court documents using our Web PACER service. To register for PACER, go to www.pacer.uscourts.gov. Copies of pre-ECF documents (those filed before December 16, 2001) which
are on file in the Clerk's Office are available for $ 0.50 per page. 4. What if the case I'm interested in is closed or archived? Closed cases are kept at the Clerk's Offices for a limited amount of time. The closed cases are then shipped to the Federal Records Center in Fort Worth, TX (archives). The Clerk's Office can provide you with the completed form you will need to order copies directly from the FRC, or you may use the blank FRC form available HERE. You will need to fill in the blank form with the accession, location and box numbers, which are available by calling the Clerk's Office at (501) 918-5500 or (479) 582-9800. The Federal Records Center accepts copy requests from bankruptcy case files by mail or fax. If you prefer to have the case shipped from Fort Worth to the Clerk's Office in Little Rock or Fayetteville to review, there is a $45.00 archive retrieval fee, plus any applicable copy fees. VCIS allows callers to access limited information about a case (i.e., the debtor's name and address, the case number, the judge assigned, the date of filing, the chapter under which relief was sought, the identity and phone number of the debtor's attorney, the identity and phone number of the trustee appointed in the case, whether there are assets, and case status (such as awaiting creditor meeting, discharge date or closure). This service is free of charge and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any touch tone telephone by calling toll-free at 1-800-891-6741 or locally at 918-5555. PACER(Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is an interface application which allows attorneys and the public to access the court's electronic docket and electronic claims register from a personal computer connected to the Internet. Information is updated once every business day from the Court's live database. PACER allows you to view information on your monitor while connected, or to download it to your personal computer for viewing and/or printing at your location at a later time. All users are charged $.08 per page for PACER access. Registration grants access privileges to all U.S. Court PACER systems nationwide. Quarterly statements will be generated and sent to each registered user accruing information from the PACER system. Information about subscribing to PACER can be found here or by calling toll free 1-800-676-6856. There is not a fee merely for obtaining a PACER account. 7. How do I change my ECF password? After logging into ECF, go to Utilities > Maintain your ECF Account > More User Information, and you will find the option to change your password. 8. What is the Filing Fee for....? Please see our Fee Schedule Page. 9. How do I get to the Clerk's Office/Courthouse? Please see our Directions and Maps Page. 10. What documents are required to file Chapter....?? Please see our Filing Information Page. 11. What are the Court/Federal Holidays? Please see our Operational Hours & Holidays Page. 12. What is the attorney compensation for Chapter 13 cases? Guidelines for compensation for services rendered and reimbursement in Ch 13 cases. 13. Where can I report suspected Bankruptcy fraud or Bankruptcy crimes? Suspected bankruptcy fraud cases can be reported to the U. S. Department of Justice at the following link: http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/fraud/index.htm. Helpful LinksElectronic Bankruptcy Noticing Website U.S. Trustess' Means Testing Information Web Page Arkansas Western District Court Arkansas Eastern District Court Virtual Chase a Website for Legal Professionals Department of Justice Bankruptcy Fraud Hotline Filing for Bankruptcy Without an Attorney BANKRUPTCY SOFTWAREThe Bankruptcy Court does not endorse any bankruptcy software and these links are only provided as a service. If you would like to have a link added, please call 501-918-5500. |