Will Everyone Be Able To Get My Bankruptcy Records?

Many people worry that everyone will see their bankruptcy records after they have filed. True, their financial status is available for the world to see. However, under most normal circumstances, only those that do research will know of your proceeding. Part of the benefits of bankruptcy is to forewarn them of your past credit history and a judgment placed on you. Also, future spouses, business partners, and credit companies will look into your background to determine if a bankruptcy is part of your history.

Bankruptcy records are a matter of public record for the whole world to see. Section 107 of the bankruptcy code makes such available for anyone to look up. The major credit bureaus report your history and a bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for seven to ten years, depending what type of bankruptcy you filed. Fortunately, newspapers and other forms of media don't report bankruptcies normally unless you are someone famous.

Many search companies will provide you with someone's bankruptcy records. You can obtain them for little or no cost by yourself as well. All that needs to be done is contact the bankruptcy court in question and request a search. Call the court's VCIS number and give the case number, person's name, and social security number if known. Also some courts have this information online as well.

Here are some reasons to look up someone's bankruptcy records.

• Verify assets available for a sale.
• Reveal encumbrances to property before a sale is completed.
• Check on someone's history before marriage.
• Uncover a pattern of adverse behavior.
• To check on a potential business partner's creditworthiness.

Several groups are petitioning the government to make bankruptcy records less accessible. Many say that making bankruptcy records public knowledge infringes on their right to privacy. Identity theft is increasingly becoming a problem among bankruptcy filers. To limit the occurrence of such crimes, some say that bankruptcy records need to be limited in access.