US Bankruptcy Court - Eastern District of Washington

CM/ECF - Electronic filing and PACER will be unavailable at the following times due to system maintenance:

Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Monday, May 3, 2010 from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM

[04/28/2010]

Systems upgrade - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, and the telephone case information system (VCIS) will be unavailable on Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a scheduled server upgrade.[06/17/2010]

Viewing Documents on PACER - The document information that displays in the color red on documents filed in CM/ECF (i.e. case number, document number, file date and entered on docket date), now appears at the bottom of the documents.[08/06/2010]

Systems upgrade - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, and the telephone case information system (VCIS) will be unavailable on Tuesday, November 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for scheduled system maintenance.[11/04/2010]

CORRECTION - The system upgrade at the national level has been postponed to Saturday, January 15, 2011.

Electronic filing and PACER will not be available on Saturday, January 15, 2011 beginning at 5:00 a.m. until approximately 9:00 a.m. with intermittent outages to PACER continuing until 2:00 p.m. due to a system upgrade at the national level. During the 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. time frame, electronic filing will be available, however PACER users may have sessions terminated or experience difficulty logging in to the system.

Electronic filing and PACER will be available on Saturday, January 8, 2011.[01/07/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, January 17, 2011, in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[01/07/2011]

CM/ECF - Electronic filing and PACER will not be available on Saturday, January 15, 2011 beginning at 5:00 a.m. until approximately 9:00 a.m. with intermittent outages to PACER continuing until 2:00 p.m. due to a system upgrade at the national level. During the 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. time frame, electronic filing will be available, however PACER users may have sessions terminated or experience difficulty logging in to the system.[01/09/2011]

CM/ECF - Electronic filing and PACER will not be available on Sunday, January 30, 2011, beginning at 7:00 a.m. until approximately 9:00 a.m. due to scheduled maintenance.[01/27/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, February 21, 2011, in observance of Washington's Birthday. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[02/11/2011]

CM/ECF - Electronic filing, PACER, and the Voice Case Information System (VCIS) will not be available on Sunday, March 20, 2011, beginning at 7:00 a.m. until approximately 11:00 a.m. due to scheduled maintenance.[03/16/2011]

Spokane Telephone Maintenance - On Monday, May 2, the Spokane telephone system will be shut down at 5:00 p.m. for 6-7 hours for system maintenance. This will include all phone service to and from Spokane. McVCIS (Voice Case Information System) will not be impacted and may be accessed by calling, toll free, 1-866-222-8029.[04/29/2011]

Systems Maintenance - On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, the court's Web site, electronic filing (CM/ECF), and PACER will be unavailable from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. due to a systems upgrade at the national level.[05/04/2011]

CM/ECF Version 4.1 System Upgrade - A new national release of the CM/ECF electronic filing software will be installed at the court on Sunday, June 26, resulting in system downtime. Electronic filing, PACER, the telephone case information system (McVCIS), and the orders program are currently unavailable. There will be changes to password security, fee payments, claims filing, reports, and queries. RSS feed technology will be added. For a synopsis of the system changes, click here. To view electronic learning modules for the version changes, click here.[06/09/2011]

Systems upgrade - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, and the telephone case information system (McVCIS) will be unavailable on Thursday, August 18, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a scheduled national system upgrade.[08/16/2011]

Systems upgrade - Electronic filing (CM/ECF) and PACER will be unavailable on Thursday, September 29, 2011 from 06:00 a.m. to 06:45 a.m. for scheduled system maintenance.[09/26/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, October 10, 2011, in observance of Columbus Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[10/01/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Friday, November 11, 2011, in observance of Veterans Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[11/01/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25, 2011, in observance of Thanksgiving. Electronic filing will be fully operational. For emergency filings on Friday, November 25, messages may be left at 509-220-2652 and will be monitored.[11/14/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, December 26, 2011, in observance of Christmas Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[12/16/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, January 2, 2012, in observance of New Year's Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[12/22/2011]

Yakima Court Closed Friday - Due to inclement weather, the Yakima court office is closed Friday, January 20. Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, McVCIS, and the court's Web site and telephone services are available.[01/19/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, February 4, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. continuing until 5:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[01/25/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, February 20, 2012, in observance of Washington's Birthday. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[02/10/2012]

Proposed Local Bankruptcy Rule 7008-1 - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The bankruptcy court has issued for public comment proposed LBR 7008-1 to address the issues raised in Stern v. Marshall, 131 S.Ct. 2594 (2011), regarding bankruptcy court jurisdiction in disputes outside the statutory definition of “core” bankruptcy issues. Proposed LBR 7008-1 can be accessed by clicking here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than May 4, 2012.[04/04/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, April 21, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. continuing until 5:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[04/11/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, May 28, 2012, in observance of Memorial Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[05/18/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, September 3, 2012, in observance of Labor Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[08/24/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, October 8, 2012, in observance of Columbus Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[10/01/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, October 27, 2012, beginning at 9:30 p.m. and continuing until Sunday, October 28, 2012, 1:30 a.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[10/24/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, February 18, 2013, in observance of Washington's Birthday. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[02/08/2013]

Vacancy Announcement - Operations Manager (Temporary). For more information please click here.[04/18/2013]

CM/ECF v3.3.3 - The latest version of CM/ECF will be installed on December 18, 2009. Electronic filing will be unavailable beginning at 6:30 AM until approximately 8:00 AM. The changes to be implemented will affect court users only.[12/07/2009]

Proposed Amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended amendments to several of the local bankruptcy rules. Redline versions of the affected rules can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than July 22, 2010.[06/22/2010]

Summons and Notice of Scheduling Conference - Copies of these documents will no longer be mailed by the clerk's office to the attorney for the plaintiff. Counsel are reminded to retrieve the Summons and Notice of Scheduling Conference forms from the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF).[09/07/2010]

Vacancy Announcement - Information Technology Specialist in Spokane. For more information please click here.[04/22/2011]

Vacancy Announcement - Information Technology Project Manager in Spokane. For more information please click here.[04/22/2011]

Bankruptcy Form Amended - The Request for Entry of Order has been amended (LF 9013, LF 9013.2, LF 9013ap and LF 9013ap.2). A section providing for electronic service has been added to the form. The form can be found here.[07/01/2011]

Federal Eastern District Conference - The Federal Bar Association announces that the 2011 Eastern District Conference and Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting will be held on September 30, 2011 at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. Registration information is available here.[08/26/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, September 5, 2011, in observance of Labor Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[08/26/2011]

Systems upgrade - Electronic filing (CM/ECF) and PACER will be unavailable on Friday, October 21, 2011 from 06:00 a.m. to 07:00 a.m. for scheduled system maintenance.[10/19/2011]

CM/ECF Version 4.2 System Upgrade - A new national release of the CM/ECF electronic filing software will be installed at the court on Saturday, November 12, resulting in system downtime from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Electronic filing, PACER, the telephone case information system (McVCIS), and the orders program will be unavailable during the upgrade. The upgrade will address requirements from FRBP 3002.1. For a synopsis of the system changes, click here.[10/28/2011]

National Rules and Forms Effective December 1, 2011 - National Rules and Forms Effective December 1, 2011 - Changes to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure will take effect December 1, 2011, pending final Supreme Court approval. The rules may be found at http://www.uscourts.gov/RulesandPolicies/FederalRulemaking/PendingRules.aspx. Three new forms are also scheduled to take effect that date: Form 10 (Attachment A), Form 10 (Supplement 1), and Form 10 (Supplement 2), while Form 1, Forms 9A-9I, and Form 25A are being amended. The pending forms can be found at http://www.uscourts.gov/FormsAndFees/Forms/BankruptcyForms/BankruptcyFormsPendingChanges.aspx.[10/31/2011]

Systems Outage - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, McVCIS, and the court's Web site will be unavailable Sunday, February 26, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for scheduled system maintenance.[02/20/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, September 15, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. and continuing until 9:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. This is a change from the previously announced date. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[08/20/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, January 21, 2013, in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[01/14/2013]

Proposed Amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended amendments to several of the local bankruptcy rules. Redline versions of the affected rules can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than May 1, 2010.[04/01/2010]

New Hearing Calendar Program - The court has moved to a nationally supported hearing calendar program called CHAP (Chambers Automated Program). For more information click here.[05/03/2010]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, April 13, 2013, beginning at 3:00 p.m. continuing until 11:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[04/08/2013]

CM/ECF Training - The court is offering live CM/ECF training for new users. Training locations are available in Spokane and Yakima. There is no cost associated with the class, and two CLE credits are available for qualified applicants. If you would like to register for a training session or receive updates about training opportunities, please contact Julie Striker at Julie_Striker@waeb.uscourts.gov or (509) 458-5329.[02/04/2010]

Invalid Addresses - Effective July 12, 2010, the Bankruptcy Noticing Center will not mail notices to a creditor if an address is invalid. For more information please click here.[07/13/2010]

Invitation for Public Comment - Reappointment of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia C. Williams. For more information please click here.[07/23/2010]

Proposed Amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended an amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule 4001-1. A redline version of the rule can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than July 29, 2011.[06/29/2011]

Proposed Amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended amendments to several of the local bankruptcy rules. Redline versions of the affected rules can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than July 23, 2011.[06/23/2011]

Scheduled System Outage - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), CHAP, 03, PACER, VPN, JPort, and McVCIS will be unavailable Sunday, March 11, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for scheduled system maintenance. Also during this time period CM/ECF will be upgraded to version 4.3.[03/05/2012]

New Electronic Orders Program - On August 1, 2012, the court will begin using eOrders, a national order processing program which became available in a recent upgrade to CM/ECF. eOrders will require changes to the formatting and submission of orders. Orders must be submitted to the court with a blank 4-inch space at the top of the first page. The judge's signature will be placed in this space. In addition, parties are no longer required to file the Request for Entry of Order cover sheet with proposed orders. Instead, a Declaration of No Objections and Request for Entry of Order document is required to be filed separately (not as a cover page) for those orders based on notice and hearing. A local form Declaration will be posted shortly. A sample order can be viewed here[07/09/2012]

Proposed Amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended amendments to several of the local bankruptcy rules and the addition of LBR 4001-5, Voluntary Modification of Debt Secured by Debtor's Residence, and LBR 5009-1, Closing Cases. Redline versions of the affected rules can be found here. The Certificate referred to in LBR 2083-1(b)(2) can be found here. The Bill of Costs referred to in LBR 7054-1(c) can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than January 22, 2013.[12/19/2012]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 10-01 amends LBR 1009-1, 2002-1, 3022-1, 4003-2, 4008-1, 9001-1, and 9010-1, effective May 10, 2010. The rules may be accessed by clicking here. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down to "Redlined version of the Local Rules amended by General Order 10-01".

[12/15/2009]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Friday, December 24, 2010, in observance of Christmas Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[12/14/2010]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Friday, December 31, 2010, in observance of New Year's Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[12/21/2010]

Bankruptcy Law Update - On December 22, 2010, President Obama signed the Bankruptcy Technical Corrections Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-327) into law. This law makes technical corrections to the U.S. Code in title 11, title 18 relating to bankruptcy fraud, and title 28 relating to appeals and bankruptcy statistics. It corrects a number of drafting errors from the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), including misspellings, erroneous statutory cross-references, as well as grammar, terminology, and punctuation mistakes. The technical corrections included ones suggested by the AO, bankruptcy judges, practitioners, and other bankruptcy specialists. The law can be found at the U.S. Government Printing Office Web site by clicking here .[01/24/2011]

Systems Unavailable - Due to a planned power outage, the court's Web site and telephones will be unavailable from Friday, June 17, 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, June 18, 3:00 p.m. Electronic filing (ECF) and PACER will be fully operational.[06/06/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in observance of Independence Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[06/29/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, December 31, 2012 and Tuesday, January 1, 2013, in observance of New Year's Day. Electronic Filing will be fully operational. For emergency filings on Monday, December 31, messages may be left at 509-458-5331 and will be monitored.[12/26/2012]

Meetings of Creditors Location Change for Yakima Cases - Meetings of Creditors scheduled during November and thereafter, for debtors who reside in Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima counties will be held at the Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center, 607 East Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA, 98901.[09/30/2009]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 10-01 amends LBR 1009-1, 2002-1, 3022-1, 4003-2, 4008-1, 9001-1, and 9010-1, effective May 10, 2010. The rules may be accessed by clicking here. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here. and scrolling down to "Redlined version of the Local Rules amended by General Order 10-01."[05/07/2010]

Appointment To Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees - The Office of the United States Trustee is seeking resumes from persons wishing to be considered for appointment to the panel of trustees who administer Chapter 7 cases. For more information click here.[05/18/2011]

Bankruptcy Forms Amended - Two local forms have been amended, including the Chapter 13 Plan (LF 2083) and Statement in Support of Confirmation of Chapter 13 Plan (LF 2083-1E). The forms can be found here.[06/24/2011]

Form Revision - The Order Awarding Compensation (LF 2016D) has been revised to include the docket numbers for the notice and certificate of mailing. The revised form can be accessed here.[09/04/2012]

Bankruptcy Form Changes effective 4-1-2010 - There are several amended forms effective April 1, 2010, including the Voluntary Petition (B1), Proof of Claim (B10), and Reaffirmation Documents (B240A). To access the forms, click here.[03/29/2010]

Vacancy Announcement - Case Administrator in Spokane. For more information please click here.[12/23/2010]

Northern District of California Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[03/29/2011]

PACER System Upgrade - Due to nationwide maintenance on the PACER system Saturday, January 14, 2012, users will experience disruptions beginning at 6 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m. PACER users may have sessions terminated or experience difficulty logging in to the system.[01/10/2012]

Eastern District of California Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[03/25/2011]

Updated Poverty Guidelines - The Poverty Guidelines, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and used for considering applications to proceed in forma pauperis, have been updated for 2011. View the 2011 Poverty Guidelines here.[04/01/2011]

Email Updates - The U.S. Bankruptcy Court is pleased to offer a free email subscription service. Subscribers receive notifications by email when new announcements are posted to the court's Web site. To receive updates, simply enter the email address where you would like to have notifications sent. To start receiving announcements, Click here to subscribe.[04/06/2011]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, January 16, 2012, in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[01/09/2012]

eOrders Frequently Asked Questions - The eOrders FAQ describes the procedure to upload an order and can be accessed by clicking here.[08/03/2012]

Form Revision - The amount of claim entitled to priority under 11 U.S.C. § 507(a) has been revised on the Proof of Claim form (B10) effective April 1, 2013. The revised form can be accessed here.[03/29/2013]

Dollar Amount Changes to Bankruptcy Code and Title 28 - On April 1, 2010, automatic adjustments to the dollar amounts stated in various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and in Title 28 will become effective and will apply to cases filed after that date. Congress provided for the automatic adjustment of these dollar amounts at three-year intervals. The provisions are found in 11 USC 104(a). Matters affected include filing eligibility under Chapters 12 & 13, maximum values of certain exempt property, the means test calculation, the duration of a chapter 13 plan, and the definition of a small business debtor.[03/29/2010]

Vacancy Announcement - Court Services Clerk in Yakima. For more information please click here.[11/17/2010]

Southern District of California Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[09/20/2011]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, January 21, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. continuing until 5:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[01/11/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, March 3, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. continuing until 9:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[03/01/2012]

Adoption of Local Bankruptcy Rule - By order of the court, Local Bankruptcy Rule 7008-1 was adopted May 7, 2012. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here.[05/09/2012]

Pay.Gov Systems Maintenance - Pay.Gov will not be available on Saturday, August 18, 2012, beginning at 3:00 p.m. and continuing until 9:00 p.m., due to systems maintenance at the national level. During this time frame, payment of fees in the CM/ECF system will not be processed.[07/19/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, November 12, 2012, in observance of Veterans Day. Electronic filing will be fully operational.[11/02/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, 2012, in observance of Thanksgiving. Electronic filing will be fully operational. For emergency filings on Friday, November 23, messages may be left at 509-458-5320 and will be monitored.[11/14/2012]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 13-01 amends LBR 2002-1 and 7054-1, and adopts new LBR 4001-5 and 5009-1, effective February 1, 2013. The rules may be accessed by clicking here. The Bill of Costs referred to in LBR 7054-1(c) can be found here. A redlined version of the rules may be accessed by clicking here.[01/31/2013]

Amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule - By order of the court, Local Bankruptcy Rule 2083-1(f) was amended November 5, 2010. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down to "Redlined version of the Local rules amended by General Order 10-04".[12/06/2010]

District of Alaska Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[09/20/2011]

Systems Outage - Electronic filing (CM/ECF), PACER, McVCIS, and the court's Web site will be unavailable Sunday, January 22, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for scheduled system maintenance.[01/10/2012]

Amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule - By order of the court, Local Bankruptcy Rule 2083-1(f) has been amended and is effective immediately. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here.

Comments will be accepted through December 5, 2010, and should be directed to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164.[11/05/2010]

Interim Rule 1007-I - The court by General Order 10-05 has adopted time amendments to Interim Rule 1007-I. Interim Rule 1007-I was adopted by the court in December 2008 (General Order 08-05) to implement the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008. General Orders may be accessed by clicking here.[12/01/2010]

Proof of Claim form - The form will no longer automatically be sent as an attachment to the Notice of Case Filing and Meeting of Creditors. The form will continue to be available on the court's Web site under Forms and Rules.[09/06/2011]

Northern District of California Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[01/12/2012]

Proposed Amendments to Local Bankruptcy Rules - Notice and Opportunity for Comment - The Local Rules Advisory Committee has recommended amendments to several of the local bankruptcy rules and the addition of LBR 7004-1, Service of Summons and Complaint. Redline versions of the affected rules can be found here.

Please send comments to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164, no later than July 23, 2012.[06/18/2012]

Amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule - By order of the court, Local Bankruptcy Rule 1007-2 has been amended and will be effective December 1, 2010. A redline version of the affected rule can be found here.

Any comments will be accepted through November 30, 2010, and should be directed to localrulecomments@waeb.uscourts.gov or to the Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, P.O. Box 2164, Spokane, WA 99210-2164.[11/01/2010]

Changes to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure - Several Bankruptcy Rule changes went into effect December 1, 2010. In addition, several Official Forms have been amended. Click here for more information.[12/01/2010]

ACH Payments - Effective January 9, 2012, users paying filing fees in CM/ECF have the option to pay by bank account debit, or Automated Clearing House (ACH), in addition to credit card payment.[12/14/2011]

Vacancy Announcement - Chief Deputy Clerk. For more information please click here.[04/06/2012]

Adoption of Local Bankruptcy Rule - By order of the court, Local Bankruptcy Rule 7008-1 was adopted May 7, 2012, to address issues raised in Stern v. Marshall , 131 S.Ct. 2594 (2011), regarding bankruptcy court jurisdiction in disputes outside the statutory definition of "core" bankruptcy issues. The rule may be accessed by clicking here.[06/18/2012]

Holiday Announcement - The Office of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk will be closed Monday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 25, 2012, in observance of Christmas Day. Electronic Filing will be fully operational. For emergency filings on Monday, December 24, messages may be left at 509-458-5331 and will be monitored.[12/14/2012]

Judgeship Opportunity - (Extended Deadline: February 14, 2013). The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invites applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Washington. Click "here" for more information.[01/17/2013]

Amendment to Local Bankruptcy Rule - General Order 10-03 amends LBR 1007-2, effective December 1, 2010. The rule may be accessed by clicking here. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down to "Redlined version of the Local Rules amended by General Order 10-03".[12/01/2010]

Southern District of California Bankruptcy Judgeship Opportunity - Application forms are available from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Web site. Click here for the announcement.[12/05/2011]

Form Revisions - The Chapter 13 Plan (LF 2083), section IV.C., has been revised to comport with FRBP 3002.1. Also, Debtor's Plan Payment Declaration (LF 2083A), paragraph 2, has been changed to be consistent with § 1326(a)(1) of the Code. The redlined versions can be found here, and the revised versions can be found here.[04/11/2012]

Form Revision - Local Form 2016E, Chapter 13 Flat Fee Agreement, has been updated to comport with LBR 2016(e)(3). A redline version is available by clicking here. The revised form can be found here.[06/05/2012]

Notice to Customers Presenting Checks on or after December 10, 2012 - When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us either to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction. For inquiries, please call 509-458-5300.

Privacy Act - A Privacy Act Statement required by 5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(3) stating our authority for soliciting and collecting the information from your check, and explaining the purposes and routine uses which will be made of your check information, is available from our internet site at (http://www.fms.treas.gov/otcnet/index.html), or call toll free at (1-866-945-7920) to obtain a copy by mail. Furnishing the check information is voluntary, but a decision not to do so may require you to make payment by some other method.[12/04/2012]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 11-01 amends LBR 1006-1, 1017-3, 2082-1, 3001-1, 3002-1, 4001-1, 4001-3, 5005-3, and 9073-1. The amendments are effective August 1, 2011 except LBR 3001-1 and LBR 3002-1, which are effective December 1, 2011. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here, and scrolling down to 'Redlined version of Local Rules amended by General Order 11-01'.[08/01/2011]

Bankruptcy Forms - Amended Official Bankruptcy Forms 1 (Voluntary Petition), 10 (Proof of Claim), and 25A (Plan of Reorganization in Small Business Case Under Chapter 11), and new Forms 10 Attachment A (Mortgage Proof of Claim attachment), 10 Supplement 1 (Notice of Mortgage Payment Change), and 10 Supplement 2 (Notice of Postpetition Mortgage Fees, Expenses and Changes) are effective December 1, 2011. Click here for a description of the changes in the bankruptcy forms. The forms may be found here.[10/24/2011]

Form Revision - The Debtor's Plan Payment Declaration (LF 2083A) has been revised. The revised form can be found here.[05/31/2012]

Judgeship Opportunity - The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invites applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Washington. Click here for more information.[10/15/2012]

Amendment to Interim Rule 1007-1 - The court by General Order 12-03 has adopted a new amendment to Interim Rule 1007-1 effective December 1, 2012. Interim Rule 1007-1 was adopted in December 2008 (by General Order 08-05) to implement the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008. The rule was amended in 2010 (by General Order 10-05) to incorporate time amendments to Bankruptcy Rule 1007. The new amendment effective December 1, 2012, removes an inconsistency created by the 2010 amendment. General orders may be accessed by clicking here.[11/14/2012]

Digital Audio Files of Court Proceedings Available on PACER - Audio recordings of selected court proceedings are now being included in CM/ECF case files and are being made available through PACER. For written instructions and more information click here.[11/23/2010]

Bankruptcy Bar Association Announces Seminar - The Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington asks that bankruptcy practitioners "save the date" for a seminar in the Tri-Cities on October 7, 2011. Registration information will be available at a later date.[07/01/2011]

Bankruptcy Rules Amended - Amended Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 1004.2, 2003, 2019, 3001, 3002.1, 4004 and 6003 are effective December 1, 2011. Click here for a description of the rule amendments. The rules may be found here.[10/24/2011]

Changes to the Miscellaneous and Electronic Public Access (EPA) Fee Schedules - The Judicial Conference of the United States approved several changes to the miscellaneous fee schedule at its September 2012 session. Specifically, it approved (1) a $25 fee for the transfer of a claim, effective May 1, 2013, (2) a $1167 fee to file a motion to reopen or divide a Chapter 11 case, effective November 21, 2012, and (3) a $1167 fee to file a Chapter 15 case, effective November 21, 2012. The administrative fee to file a new case or divide a joint case remains at $46. The EPA fee schedule was revised, effective October 1, 2012, to make the records search ($30) and returned check ($53) fees consistent with the miscellaneous fee schedule. The Miscellaneous Fee Schedule can be accessed by clicking here and the EPA Fee Schedule by clicking here.[10/09/2012]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 10-02 amends LBR 1015-1, 2002-1, 5001-2, 5005-1, 9004-1, 9073-1, and adopts new rule 5005-3, effective August 1, 2010. The rules may be accessed by clicking here. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here, and scrolling down to "Redlined version of the Local Rules amended by General Order 10-02."[07/28/2010]

Modification of Mortgage Payments - There are a number of resources available to those in danger of losing their homes because they are behind in mortgage payments. One such program is the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Through the program, homeowners may be eligible to modify their mortgages to make the payments more affordable, even if they have filed for bankruptcy relief. More about this program and others can be found at the U.S. Trustee General Consumer Information page under the "For Homeowners" section at http://www.justice.gov/ust/eo/public_affairs/consumer_info/index.htm.[11/18/2010]

CM/ECF Version 4.1 System Upgrade - A new national release of the CM/ECF electronic filing software was installed Sunday, June 26. There are changes to password security, fee payments, claims filing, reports, and queries. RSS feed technology has been added. For a synopsis of the system changes, click here. To view electronic learning modules for the version changes, click here.[06/27/2011]

Local Rules Amended - General Order 11-01 revises LBR 3001-1 and abrogates LBR 3002-1 effective December 1, 2011. A redline version may be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down to 'Redlined version of Local Rules amended by General Order 11-01.[10/24/2011]

Fee Increase - The Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeships Extension Act of 2012 includes a provision that increases the fee for filing a bankruptcy case under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The filing fee for a Chapter 11 will be $1,213.00, effective with new Chapter 11 cases filed on or after November 21, 2012.[07/09/2012]

PACER Case Locator - The new PACER Case Locator allows users to search for court records and offers enhanced search and display capabilities including searches by date range, chapter, discharge date and dismissal date. It can be accessed at http://pcl.uscourts.gov.[06/16/2010]

Certain Objections to Discharge No Longer Adversary Proceedings - Effective December 1, 2010, FRBP 7001 is amended to create an exception for objections to discharge under § 727(a)(8), (a)(9), or 1328(f) of the Code. Objections to discharge under these Code sections are to be commenced by motion rather than by complaint. Also, FRBP 4004(a) is amended to include a deadline of 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors to file motions objecting to debtor’s discharge under FRBP 7001.[11/17/2010]

Bankruptcy Noticing Center Changes June 26, 2011 - Effective June 26, 2011, following a CM/ECF upgrade to version 4.1, there will be several improvements to Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) services. For 341 meetings, an e-mail will be sent to debtors' attorneys providing a secure hyperlink to an unredacted 341 notice in place of a paper notice. Additionally, where a document is being noticed to recipients through the BNC and through the CM/ECF Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF), the BNC Certificate of Notice will reflect both BNC and NEF recipients. Finally, attorneys will no longer receive paper bypass notices mailed by the BNC in the instance of undeliverable addresses. Instead, that information will be sent to the primary e-mail addresses of attorneys.[06/09/2011]

PACER Fee Increase - The Judicial Conference of the United States authorized an increase in the electronic public access fee from $.08 per page to $.10 per page effective April 1, 2012, in order to support and improve the PACER system.[10/01/2011]

Centralized Processing of Returned BNC Mail - The Judiciary's Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) contractor will begin accepting, processing and securely disposing of notices that would otherwise be returned to the bankruptcy court by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The service will provide timely notification to debtors' attorneys of returned notices. Additional information can be viewed here.[09/19/2012]

Reaffirmation Agreements - Pursuant to amended Local Bankruptcy Rule 4008-1, individuals who are not represented by an attorney during the course of negotiating a reaffirmation agreement shall file the agreement using the appropriate national forms (B27, B240A and B240B or Forms B27 and B240A/B Alt). The forms can be found here.[05/26/2010]

Bankruptcy Form Change Effective November 10, 2010 - There has been a minor revision to the Chapter 13 Plan (LF 2083) effective November 10, 2010. To view a redlined version of the affected section of the form, click here.[11/12/2010]

Judge/Trustee Assignment Program - The Judge/Trustee Assignment utility in CM/ECF will be deactivated for Spokane Chapter 7 cases on January 1, 2011. The trustee and meeting of creditors date assignment will occur the work day following electronic filing of the case and filers will be notified of the assignment by a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF).[12/30/2010]

eOrders Training - Online lessons explaining how to upload an order and file a declaration of no objections can be accessed by clicking here.[09/05/2012]

Free Pre-Petition Credit Counseling - The following Web site offers free pre-petition credit counseling online and is approved by the United States Trustee: consumerbankruptcycounseling.info. For a complete list of credit counseling providers, see the link to the U.S. Trustee Program on the court's Web site under General Information/Credit Counseling Agencies.[04/21/2010]

Proposed Amendments to National Rules - The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Bankruptcy and Criminal Rules have proposed amendments to their respective rules and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar, and public for comment. The proposed amendments, Rules Committee reports explaining the proposed changes, and other information are posted on the Judiciary's Federal Rulemaking web site at http://www.uscourts.gov/rules. The public comment period ends on February 16, 2011.[08/19/2010]

Proposed Amendments to National Rules - The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, Criminal, and Evidence Rules have proposed amendments to their respective rules and requested that the proposals be circulated to the bench, bar, and public for comment. The proposed amendments are posted on the Judiciary's Federal Rulemaking Web site at http://www.uscourts.gov/rules. The public comment period ends on February 15, 2012.[08/24/2011]

Local Rules Amendments and Adoption of LBR 7004-1 - General Order 12-02 amends LBR 2002-1, 2016-1, 3007-1, 5010-1, 5011-1, 9009-1, 9013-1, 9018-1, and 9070-1, and adopts new LBR 7004-1, effective August 1, 2012. The rules may be accessed by clicking here. A redlined version may be accessed by clicking here.[07/30/2012]