St. Landry Parish Bankruptcy Records

St. Landry Parish bankruptcy records are federal court documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division. Residents and creditors can search these records online through PACER, by phone through McVCIS, or by contacting the Lafayette courthouse directly to find case filings, discharge orders, and full docket histories for St. Landry Parish debtors.

Federal Bankruptcy Court Serving St. Landry Parish

St. Landry Parish falls under the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division. All bankruptcy petitions filed by St. Landry Parish residents and businesses go through this court. The John M. Shaw U.S. Courthouse sits at 800 Lafayette Street, Suite 1200, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main phone line is (337) 262-6800. The Lafayette Division serves eight parishes: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion.

The court's website at lawb.uscourts.gov has local rules, a forms library, and filing instructions. Electronic case filing goes through the ECF system linked from that site. If you need to file in person, bring money orders or cashier's checks only. The court does not accept personal checks or credit cards from individual filers at the window. Court staff can answer questions about local filing procedures, but they cannot give legal advice.

McVCIS is the court's automated phone line. Call 1-866-222-8029 any time, day or night, seven days a week. You can look up basic case status for up to five cases per call at no cost. It's a fast way to check whether a case is open, closed, or dismissed before you spend time pulling a full PACER docket.

The Lafayette Division also processes Chapter 11 business reorganizations and Chapter 12 family farmer cases. Filing fees are set by federal statute under 28 U.S.C. § 1930. Chapter 7 costs $338. Chapter 13 is $313. Chapter 11 is $1,738. Chapter 12 is $278. These fees apply across all divisions of the Western District.

Searching St. Landry Parish Bankruptcy Records with PACER

PACER, which stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records, is the main federal system for finding bankruptcy case documents. You can use it at pacer.uscourts.gov. A PACER account is free to create. Access costs $0.10 per page, though accounts that accumulate less than $30 in fees per quarter owe nothing. That makes PACER essentially free for occasional users who just need to check a case or two.

To find St. Landry Parish bankruptcy records, log in and use the PACER Case Locator. You can search by debtor name, Social Security number (last four digits), case number, or filing date range. Filter your search to the Western District of Louisiana to narrow results to St. Landry Parish cases. Full dockets include every motion, order, and hearing notice filed in a case. Discharge orders, meeting of creditors notices, and final decrees are all part of the public record under 11 U.S.C. § 107.

Certain personal details are redacted from public court records. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and the names of minor children do not appear in full. This is required by Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037. The underlying petition and schedules do contain detailed financial data, but access is limited to those who can demonstrate a legitimate interest in cases where personal information might be sensitive.

Copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies run $11 per document. You can request copies directly from the Lafayette courthouse by mail or in person. Include the case number, the specific document you need, and a check or money order payable to the Clerk of Court. The court will mail copies back to you once payment is confirmed.

St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court

The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court handles state-level civil, criminal, and property records in Opelousas. This is a separate office from the federal bankruptcy court and does not hold bankruptcy case files. However, if a creditor recorded a lien based on a civil judgment before or after a bankruptcy, that lien record may appear at the parish clerk's office. Judgment liens and mortgage records tied to discharged debts sometimes require coordination between federal and state records.

Clerk Charles Jagneaux heads the office. Chief Deputy Lisa Doyle assists with day-to-day operations. The office is at 118 S. Court Street, Suite 207, Opelousas, LA 70570. Mail goes to P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70570. Call (337) 942-5606 or fax (337) 948-9158 for assistance. The parish clerk's website is at stlandry.org.

Chapter Types Filed in St. Landry Parish

Most individuals in St. Landry Parish who file bankruptcy use Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case. The trustee reviews assets, pays creditors what it can, and the debtor receives a discharge of most unsecured debts. The whole process typically takes three to five months. Chapter 13 is a repayment plan case. The debtor proposes a plan to pay back some or all debts over three to five years. This option works for people who have regular income and want to keep property like a home.

Chapter 12 applies to family farmers and fishermen with regular income. It works much like Chapter 13 but has higher debt limits and special provisions for seasonal income. Chapter 11 is available to individuals with very high debt loads and to businesses. It is far more complex and expensive than other chapters, and most Chapter 11 cases involve significant legal representation.

All four chapter types result in an automatic stay the moment a petition is filed. The automatic stay stops most collection actions. Foreclosures, wage garnishments, and repossessions must pause while the case is pending. Creditors who violate the stay can face sanctions from the bankruptcy court.

eClerks LA and Parish-Level Record Access

Louisiana's statewide eClerks LA portal, found at eclerksla.com, is a state system that connects to parish clerk offices across Louisiana. It operates under La. R.S. 13:754. This portal lets you search civil court records, judgment indexes, and property-related filings across many parishes from one interface. It does not contain federal bankruptcy records, but it can be useful if you need to check whether a state court judgment was recorded in St. Landry Parish before or after a bankruptcy filing.

If you need to confirm whether a bankruptcy discharge removed a lien from St. Landry Parish property, you may need to check both PACER and the parish clerk's records or the eClerks LA system. A discharge eliminates personal liability, but it does not automatically release liens recorded against real property. That step often requires filing a separate motion in the bankruptcy case or working with a local attorney.

Legal Help for St. Landry Parish Residents

If you need help with a bankruptcy case in St. Landry Parish, several resources are available. The Western District of Louisiana's website links to local rules and forms that self-represented filers can use. The court's clerk staff can explain procedures but cannot advise you on what to file or whether to file.

Legal aid organizations serve low-income residents who cannot afford an attorney. Acadiana Legal Service Corporation covers St. Landry Parish and provides free civil legal help to qualifying individuals. Contact them at (337) 948-0166 or through their website. The Louisiana State Bar Association also offers a lawyer referral service if you need a private bankruptcy attorney.

Many bankruptcy attorneys offer free initial consultations. It's worth calling a few to compare before you decide how to proceed. Attorney fees for Chapter 7 cases in rural parishes like St. Landry tend to be lower than in metro areas, but they vary based on complexity. Chapter 13 attorney fees are typically paid through the repayment plan itself, so you may not need money up front beyond the filing fee.

Cities in St. Landry Parish

St. Landry Parish includes Opelousas as the parish seat, along with Washington, Eunice, Sunset, and several smaller communities. None of these cities have a dedicated page on this site. For bankruptcy records tied to addresses in any St. Landry Parish city, search through the Western District's PACER system using the debtor's name and parish location.

Nearby Parishes

These neighboring parishes also fall within the Western District of Louisiana or the Middle District. Each has its own dedicated bankruptcy records page.