Access Butler County Bankruptcy Records

If you are looking for bankruptcy records in Butler County, the filings are held by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Butler County falls under the 36th Judicial Circuit, and the state Circuit Clerk in Poplar Bluff maintains related court files. You can search Butler County bankruptcy records through PACER or the VCIS phone line at 1-866-222-8029. This guide explains how to access Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 case records filed by Butler County residents.

Butler County Bankruptcy Court

Butler County is served by the Eastern District of Missouri Bankruptcy Court located in St. Louis. All bankruptcy cases filed by Butler County residents go through this federal court. The court handles Chapter 7 liquidation cases where debts are discharged, Chapter 13 repayment plans that let debtors pay back some or all of what they owe over three to five years, and Chapter 11 reorganization cases mostly used by businesses. You can reach the court at (314) 244-4500 during business hours.

To search for a specific bankruptcy case from Butler County, use PACER online. The system costs $0.10 per page with a $2.40 cap per document. If your usage stays under $15 per quarter, the fees are waived. You can also call the Voice Case Information System at 1-866-222-8029 for basic case details any time of day. The automated system provides the case number, filing date, chapter type, attorney name, judge, trustee, and case status.

State Court Records in Butler County

The 36th Judicial Circuit serves Butler County with the Circuit Clerk's office in Poplar Bluff. While bankruptcy is a federal matter, state court records can tie into a bankruptcy case. Civil judgments, liens, and debt collection lawsuits from Butler County courts may show up in a debtor's bankruptcy schedules. The Circuit Clerk maintains these state court files.

You can search Butler County state court records through Missouri Case.net, the free online portal run by the Office of State Courts Administrator. Case.net lets you look up cases by party name, case number, or filing date. The system covers docket entries, parties, and judgments going back to the mid-1990s. The Track This Case feature sends email or text alerts when something new gets filed.

Filing Bankruptcy in Butler County

Butler County residents must file bankruptcy through the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Before filing, you need to complete credit counseling from a provider approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. Chapter 7 filers must also pass a means test that compares your income to the Missouri state median. If your income is too high for Chapter 7, you may still qualify for Chapter 13.

The filing fee for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is $338. Chapter 13 costs $313 to file. Chapter 11 cases cost $1,738. Fee waivers are available for low-income Chapter 7 filers. Missouri has opted out of federal bankruptcy exemptions, so state law under RSMO 513.430 controls what property you can protect. The homestead exemption covers up to $15,000 in real estate. The motor vehicle exemption protects up to $3,000 in car equity. Personal property exemptions include $3,000 for household goods and $1,500 for wedding rings.

After filing, your Butler County bankruptcy case gets assigned to a judge and a trustee. The trustee schedules a 341 meeting of creditors, usually held about 30 to 45 days after filing. All of this information becomes part of the bankruptcy record and is searchable through PACER.

Note: Filing fees change from time to time, so check with the court before you file to confirm current costs.

Older Butler County Bankruptcy Records

Historical bankruptcy records from Butler County are stored at the National Archives at Kansas City. The facility holds about 125,000 cubic feet of bankruptcy case files. For cases filed in 1940 and after, you need a Federal Records Center transfer number. You can request records by email at kansascity.archives@nara.gov or call 816.268.8000. Cases closed for a certain number of years get moved from the court to storage automatically.

Copy fees for bankruptcy records are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $12 plus the per-page fee. A name search costs $34 per name. These fees apply at the federal court level. The 36th Judicial Circuit clerk's office in Poplar Bluff sets its own fee schedule for state court record copies.

Legal Help in Butler County

Legal Services of Missouri provides free legal help to low-income Butler County residents who need assistance with bankruptcy. The Missouri Bar at MissouriLawyersHelp.org offers a lawyer referral service to find bankruptcy attorneys in the Poplar Bluff area. Pro se filers can get free 30-minute consultations through the BAMSL Pro Se Assistance Program. Court staff at the Eastern District of Missouri cannot give legal advice but can help with procedural questions about bankruptcy records.

Bankruptcy Records for Butler County Cities

All cities and towns in Butler County file bankruptcy through the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Residents can access bankruptcy records using the same PACER system and VCIS phone line described on this page.

Nearby County Bankruptcy Records

These nearby Missouri counties also fall under the federal bankruptcy court system. Each has its own Circuit Clerk office that maintains related state court records.