Livingston Parish Bankruptcy Records

Livingston Parish bankruptcy records are filed and maintained through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. These public records cover Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases filed by individuals and businesses in the parish, and they can be searched online through PACER or accessed in person at the Baton Rouge courthouse on Florida Street.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Middle District of Louisiana

Livingston Parish falls within the Middle District of Louisiana for federal bankruptcy purposes. The court is in Baton Rouge and handles all filings from the parish. The judge assigned to Middle District cases is Hon. Douglas D. Dodson. The clerk of court is William Guercio III. The 341 meeting of creditors takes place in Room 324 at the same Florida Street address.

The Middle District covers nine parishes total: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. All filings go to the single Baton Rouge courthouse. No fax or email submissions are accepted for proofs of claim; everything goes through CM/ECF. The court's fee schedule is at lamb.uscourts.gov/schedule-fees, and local rules are at lamb.uscourts.gov/rules-and-forms.

How to Search Livingston Parish Bankruptcy Cases

The main way to search federal bankruptcy records is through PACER, or Public Access to Court Electronic Records. Registration is free at pacer.uscourts.gov. Each page of records costs $0.10, but charges under $30 in a quarter are waived. Most personal searches cost nothing at all.

Once you have a PACER account, go to the Case Locator at pacer.uscourts.gov/find-a-case. You can search by name, case number, or Social Security number. The locator will tell you which court holds the case and link you to that court's docket. From the docket you can pull filed documents, view case status, and see what hearings have been set.

If you want to check basic case info without logging into PACER, call McVCIS at 1-866-222-8029, extension 536. This automated phone system runs around the clock. You will need the debtor's name or a case number to get results. It won't give you documents, but it can confirm whether a case was filed and what chapter it is.

The Middle District also has its own case information page at lamb.uscourts.gov/case-information. This links directly into PACER and explains how to find dockets. Attorneys who file through CM/ECF can access their own cases at the electronic filing portal for the Western District.

Livingston Parish Clerk of Court

The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court handles state court records, not federal bankruptcy filings. Still, the clerk's office is a useful resource if you need related civil court documents, property records, or liens that may accompany a bankruptcy case. Jason B. Harris serves as Clerk. Kevin Pope is Chief Deputy.

The Denham Springs satellite makes it easier for residents in the western part of the parish to access clerk services without driving to the main courthouse. The clerk's office at both locations can help with state court records searches, certified copies, and property record requests.

Fraud Alert Notifications for Property Records

Livingston Parish offers a free fraud alert service for land records. This matters if you own property and are tracking a bankruptcy case where real estate is involved. When a document is recorded against your name, you get an email alert right away.

Register through eClerks LA at eclerksla.com/home. The service is free. eClerks LA was created under La. R.S. 13:754 and launched in 2015. It covers multiple Louisiana parishes. The system helps property owners spot unauthorized filings fast, which is valuable when financial stress is already a concern. The Livingston Parish Clerk's office specifically promotes this service for residents who want extra protection on their land records.

Types of Bankruptcy Cases Filed in Livingston Parish

Most filings in Livingston Parish are consumer bankruptcy cases. Chapter 7 is the most common. It involves a trustee reviewing non-exempt assets, with most unsecured debt discharged at the end. The filing fee under 28 U.S.C. § 1930 is $338 for Chapter 7 cases. Chapter 13 lets debtors keep their property while repaying debts over three to five years. This option is often used by people trying to stop a home foreclosure. Chapter 11 is less common in this parish but does appear for small businesses or individuals with debt levels too high for Chapter 13. Chapter 12 is available for family farmers and fishermen.

All case types are filed at the Middle District courthouse in Baton Rouge. Before you can file any chapter, federal law requires that you complete an approved credit counseling course within 180 days. The certificate goes in with the petition at the time of filing. The court's website lists approved providers for the Middle District.

Public Access and Privacy Rules

Federal law under 11 U.S.C. § 107 makes most bankruptcy records public. Anyone can pull a docket or read filed documents. But some personal data is protected. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 limits what appears in public filings. Social Security numbers show only the last four digits. Account numbers show only the last four digits. Birth dates show only the year. Filers are responsible for redacting this data before submitting documents to the court.

Under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 5003, the clerk must keep a docket for every case. This record stays even after a case closes. If you need to research a case from years back, PACER still has access to the index. For very old cases stored offsite, PACER will show you where archived documents are held at the Federal Records Center.

Copies of Bankruptcy Records

Plain copies of court records cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $11.00 each. If you ask a staff member to search for records on your behalf, that costs $32.00. Downloading documents through PACER is cheaper at $0.10 per page, and you can do it from home.

For certified copies needed for legal purposes, contact the Middle District clerk's office directly at (225) 346-3333 or visit 707 Florida Street, Room 119 in Baton Rouge. Include the case number and the specific document name with your request, along with the correct payment.

Cities in Livingston Parish

Livingston Parish does not have any cities that have a dedicated page on this site. The parish seat is Livingston. Other communities include Denham Springs, Walker, and Springfield, but none qualify for a page on this site. All residents in these communities file bankruptcy cases at the Middle District courthouse in Baton Rouge.

Nearby Parishes

Livingston Parish borders several other parishes, each handled by the same or adjacent federal districts.