Madison Parish Bankruptcy Records

Madison Parish bankruptcy records are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana and are open to the public under 11 U.S.C. § 107. This page explains how to search, access, and request those records.

Federal Court for Madison Parish

Madison Parish falls under the Monroe Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Louisiana. The Monroe Division does not have a staffed clerk's office, so all filings go to the Shreveport location. Cases are still assigned to the Monroe Division and carry Monroe Division case numbers, but physical filings and in-person visits must be handled at the Shreveport courthouse.

The Shreveport clerk's office address is 300 Fannin Street, Suite 2201, Shreveport, LA 71101. The phone number is (318) 676-4267. You can also visit the court's website at lawb.uscourts.gov for forms, local rules, and general case information. Most filers use the court's electronic case filing system, but self-represented debtors can file in person at Shreveport.

The Western District court handles all chapters of bankruptcy for Madison Parish residents, including Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 repayment plans, Chapter 11 business reorganization, and Chapter 12 family farmer cases. Filing fees are set by federal law under 28 U.S.C. § 1930. As of 2026, those fees are $338 for Chapter 7, $313 for Chapter 13, $1,738 for Chapter 11, and $278 for Chapter 12. Fee waivers are available for low-income filers under certain conditions.

The Western District court website has a searchable docket and local forms. You can find procedural notices, judge assignments, and local rules there. The site also lists deadlines and schedules for 341 meetings of creditors. Filers and creditors both rely on this site to track case status.

The Western District of Louisiana bankruptcy court serves Madison Parish through the Monroe Division. All Monroe Division cases file at the Shreveport office at 300 Fannin Street. The court's website at lawb.uscourts.gov provides case filing instructions, local rules, and court forms for all chapter types.

How to Search Madison Parish Bankruptcy Records

The main tool for searching Madison Parish bankruptcy records is PACER, which stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records. PACER is a federal system that covers all U.S. bankruptcy courts. You can search by name, case number, or Social Security number partial. Case records go back many years and include dockets, petitions, schedules, and court orders.

PACER charges $0.10 per page for documents you view or download. There is a quarterly cap of $30 per account, and accounts with less than $30 in charges in a quarter pay nothing. You can register for a PACER account at no cost through pacer.uscourts.gov. Some records are sealed or restricted under 11 U.S.C. § 107 and the privacy protections of Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037, which limits display of Social Security numbers, birth dates, and financial account numbers in public filings.

PACER is the federal portal for accessing Madison Parish bankruptcy records and all other federal court records. You can search the PACER Case Locator at pacer.uscourts.gov/find-a-case to find cases across multiple courts at once. PACER charges $0.10 per page, with free access for accounts under $30 per quarter.

If you do not want to use PACER online, you can call the McVCIS automated voice system at 1-866-222-8029. This system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It gives basic case information like filing date, case status, and 341 meeting details. It does not provide full docket access or document downloads, but it is free and does not require a PACER account.

Madison Parish Clerk of Court

The Madison Parish Clerk of Court handles state-level court records, not federal bankruptcy cases. Still, the clerk's office is a useful local resource for related civil matters, property records, and court filings that may tie into financial cases. The clerk of court in Madison Parish is Marion Hopkins, with Shirley Truelove serving as Chief Deputy.

The office address is 100 North Cedar Street, Tallulah, LA 71282. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1710, Tallulah, LA 71284-1710. You can reach the office by phone at (318) 574-0655 or by fax at (318) 574-3961. The parish clerk's website has been reported to return HTTP 403 errors at times, so direct phone contact may be more reliable.

State records maintained by the parish clerk can sometimes help track assets, judgments, or liens connected to a bankruptcy. Louisiana's statewide eClerks portal at eclerksla.com provides access to clerk records from many parishes under La. R.S. 13:754. If Madison Parish records are available there, you can search them online without visiting Tallulah in person.

Copies of state court records cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $11 each. A search fee of $32 may apply for records requests that require staff time to locate and pull files. These fees are set by state law and apply at the parish clerk level, not the federal bankruptcy court.

What Bankruptcy Records Contain

Madison Parish bankruptcy records, like all federal bankruptcy case files, hold a lot of detail. The petition shows the debtor's name, address, and the chapter filed. Schedules list all assets, all debts, income, and monthly expenses. The statement of financial affairs covers recent transactions, transfers, and lawsuits. Creditors receive notice and can file claims or objections.

Public bankruptcy records do not show full Social Security numbers. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 requires redaction of sensitive data. Only the last four digits of Social Security numbers appear in public filings. Bank account numbers are also truncated. These protections apply to all filings in Madison Parish cases handled by the Western District.

Court orders and judgments are part of the public record too. These include the automatic stay order that halts collections when a case is filed, any motions for relief from stay, the discharge order if one is granted, and any dismissal orders. Docket entries are tracked under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 5003. All of this is searchable through PACER once you have an account.

Creditors and attorneys use these records regularly. Landlords check them before signing leases. Lenders pull them as part of underwriting. Courts in other cases may need them as exhibits. Anyone can access the public portions of Madison Parish bankruptcy records for $0.10 per page through PACER, or for free at a courthouse public terminal.

Filing Bankruptcy in Madison Parish

Residents of Madison Parish who want to file bankruptcy must do so in the Western District, Monroe Division. Since there is no Monroe clerk's office, paper filers go to Shreveport at 300 Fannin Street, Suite 2201. The phone there is (318) 676-4267. Attorneys typically file electronically through the CM/ECF system. Self-represented debtors without attorney access file in person or by mail.

Before filing, debtors must complete a credit counseling course from an approved agency. This is required under federal law. The certificate from that course must be filed with the petition. After the case is filed, a 341 meeting of creditors is scheduled, usually within 21 to 40 days. At that meeting, a trustee reviews the petition and schedules under oath.

Chapter 7 cases in Madison Parish typically close in three to six months if no assets are distributed to creditors. Chapter 13 cases run three to five years, following a repayment plan approved by the court. Debtors must also complete a debtor education course before receiving a discharge. These requirements apply equally to all debtors in the Western District, including those from Madison Parish.

Cities in Madison Parish

Madison Parish includes Tallulah, the parish seat, and several small communities. None currently have a dedicated page on this site. Tallulah is the main hub for services, courts, and government offices in the parish.

Nearby Parishes

Parishes that border or lie near Madison Parish also fall under the Western District and handle filings similarly.