Lafayette Parish Bankruptcy Records
Lafayette Parish bankruptcy records are filed with and maintained by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division. Lafayette is one of the few parishes in the state where the federal bankruptcy court has a staffed local office, making it easier for residents and businesses to file and access records without traveling far. This page covers how to search Lafayette Parish bankruptcy records, who handles them, and what they contain.
Lafayette Parish Quick Facts
Western District Bankruptcy Court, Lafayette Division
Lafayette Parish is served directly by the Lafayette Division of the Western District of Louisiana. The court is located at John M. Shaw U.S. Courthouse, 800 Lafayette Street, Suite 1200, Lafayette, LA 70501. The phone number is (337) 262-6800. Hon. John W. Kolwe serves as the bankruptcy judge for this division.
Unlike some divisions in the Western District, the Lafayette Division has a staffed clerk's office. That means you can file cases, submit documents, and speak with court staff in person right here in Lafayette. You do not need to travel to Shreveport or another city to handle your bankruptcy case. This makes Lafayette Parish one of the more convenient parishes in the district for bankruptcy filers.
The Western District's website at lawb.uscourts.gov provides access to local rules, forms, filing instructions, and court calendars. Case information is available through the court's online search tool at the site. Electronic filing for attorneys uses the CM/ECF system.
| Address | John M. Shaw U.S. Courthouse, 800 Lafayette St, Suite 1200, Lafayette LA 70501 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (337) 262-6800 |
| Judge | Hon. John W. Kolwe |
| Website | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Louisiana |
The Western District court site gives you access to local rules, forms, and news about court operations. Lafayette Parish debtors and researchers can find filing requirements and case search tools directly on that site before coming to the courthouse on Lafayette Street.
Filing fees for Lafayette Parish cases follow the federal schedule under 28 U.S.C. § 1930. Chapter 7 is $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 requires $1,738. Chapter 12 is $278. Low-income filers whose earnings are under 150% of the federal poverty level may apply for a fee waiver when they submit their case.
Searching Lafayette Parish Bankruptcy Records Through PACER
PACER is the public access system for federal court records. You can register and search Lafayette Parish bankruptcy records at pacer.uscourts.gov by debtor name, case number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. PACER charges $0.10 per page for documents. If your quarterly charges total less than $30, the fee is waived entirely.
The PACER Case Locator at pacer.uscourts.gov/find-a-case lets you search across all federal courts at once. This is the fastest way to find a case when you only have a debtor name and aren't certain which district filed it. Once you find the Lafayette Parish case, you can click through to the Western District docket.
Under 11 U.S.C. § 107, bankruptcy records are public by default. The petition, schedules, orders, and docket sheet are open to any person who searches. Privacy protections under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 require filers to redact Social Security numbers to the last four digits, account numbers to the last four digits, birth years to the year only, and minor children's names to initials only.
If you do not want to use PACER, the McVCIS phone line at 1-866-222-8029 gives basic case info 24 hours a day. It provides up to five records per call and tells you the filing date, chapter type, and case status. This is a good first step before diving into PACER for full documents. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 5003 requires the clerk to keep a public docket for every case, which is what PACER users access when they search.
Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court
Louis J. Perret serves as the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court. Melissa Hebert is the Chief Deputy Clerk. The office is at 800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501-6853. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2009, Lafayette, LA 70502-2009. You can call at (337) 291-6400 or fax at (337) 291-6392.
The Lafayette Parish Clerk handles state court records, not federal bankruptcy filings. The clerk's office maintains civil suits, property conveyances, mortgage filings, and other parish-level court records. When a Lafayette Parish debtor goes through bankruptcy, some connected actions may appear in the clerk's files. Lien releases, property transfers, or civil judgments tied to the bankruptcy case often get filed with the parish clerk as well.
Checking both the federal PACER system and the parish clerk's records gives the most complete picture of a debtor's situation. The clerk's records go back many years and can show property history, past judgments, and other context that the federal file does not include.
The Lafayette Parish Clerk's website at lpclerk.com provides office hours, contact details, and online record search access. It's the right starting place for any state court record research in Lafayette Parish.
Standard copy fees follow Louisiana rates. Regular copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $11. A manual record search by staff runs $32. The parish clerk system also participates in statewide access tools that allow some searches to be done remotely.
Bankruptcy Chapter Types in Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Parish debtors file all four main bankruptcy chapters with the Western District. Chapter 7 is the most filed by individuals. It clears most unsecured debts through a liquidation process. A trustee checks non-exempt assets. Most individual Chapter 7 cases are no-asset cases that end quickly in a discharge. The filing fee is $338.
Chapter 13 lets filers with steady income keep their property and repay creditors over a three-to-five year plan approved by the court. It's often the right choice when someone wants to stop a foreclosure on a home or cure past-due car payments. The fee is $313. Judge Kolwe reviews and confirms repayment plans for the Lafayette Division.
Chapter 11 covers business reorganizations and complex high-debt individual cases. The $1,738 fee reflects the administrative demands of these cases. Chapter 12 is built for family farmers and fishermen with regular annual income, at a $278 filing fee. All filers under any chapter must complete an approved credit counseling course within 180 days before filing. This is a federal requirement set by Title 11 of the United States Code.
- Chapter 7: $338, liquidation with discharge of most unsecured debts
- Chapter 13: $313, three-to-five year court-approved repayment plan
- Chapter 11: $1,738, reorganization for businesses or high-debt individuals
- Chapter 12: $278, for family farmers and commercial fishermen
The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure govern how all these cases run. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 5003 requires the clerk to docket every event in each case, creating the public record that PACER users search. Every chapter type follows this same rule.
What Lafayette Parish Bankruptcy Case Files Contain
A Lafayette Parish bankruptcy file starts with the voluntary petition. It names the debtor, lists address and chapter type, and shows the filing date. Attached schedules itemize all assets and liabilities, monthly income and expenses, and any executory contracts or leases. These records are public under 11 U.S.C. § 107 unless sealed by court order.
The docket tracks every event from first filing to final outcome. Filings, hearings, trustee reports, and the judge's orders all appear there. You can access the docket through PACER. Most linked documents cost $0.10 per page. The first page of any document is viewable free before you download.
Private data is protected. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 requires redaction of full Social Security numbers, full account numbers, complete birth dates, and minor children's full names before any document is filed with the court. If a document is filed without proper redaction, the court may restrict access to protect personal information.
Cities in Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Parish is centered around the city of Lafayette, which has its own page with more detail on local resources for bankruptcy records.
Nearby Parishes
Lafayette Parish is surrounded by several south-central Louisiana parishes, all served by the Western District of Louisiana for federal bankruptcy cases.