When you need to file for bankruptcy, you typically want it done pretty quickly. In the old days, that just wasn’t possible without advance planning. Your lawyer needed to make a bunch of copies of your bankruptcy documents, hop on the train or jump in the car, and be sure the court was open.
What most people don’t realize is that this is a thing of the past, as least for lawyers. It’s true that if you file for bankruptcy on your own you still need to take those steps, but for lawyers it’s a lot faster and easier than that.
In fact, it takes nothing more than the press of a button.
In New York bankruptcy courts, the rule is that all bankruptcy papers must be filed electronically over the Internet. The system is called CM/ECF (short for case management-electronic case filing) and is administered through the federal court system. Using CM/ECF is pretty simple; in fact, most of the bankruptcy lawyers in New York and elsewhere use software that handles the filing with the press of a single button on the computer.
Of course, getting to the point where the case is ready to be filed still takes some time. Documents must be provided to the lawyer, data input, and papers signed. But once that’s taken care of, things can be handled as quickly as the Internet allows.
This lets you get protection from your creditors as fast as you need it, even at 2:00am (though if you call my office at 2:00am your chances of finding someone at work is pretty slim). Still, it’s good to know that your case can be filed without all the hassle that used to be involved.