Certificate of Debtor Education  

Last Updated: December 3, 2024

 

 

Individuals filing under chapters 7 and 13 must complete an approved financial management course (subject to exceptions set) in order to receive a discharge all cases filed on or after October 17, 2005. Certificate of Debtor Education must be filed with the court after the financial course has been completed, unless a Personal Financial Management Course Provider files the certificate with the Court.

  

Certificate received from agency conducting financial management course

 

The agency conducting the management course will provide debtor(s) with a certificate after the course has been completed.  

 

Joint Case

If a joint petition is filed, each spouse must complete and file a separate certification.  

 

In some cases, the Court can waive the requirement to take the financial management course. To have the requirement waived, the debtor must file a Motion for Waiver of Financial Management.

 

Case Closing

If the debtor fails to submit the required certification, the Court shall close the case without  granting a discharge.  Notice will be sent to the debtor, trustee and all creditors on the case.  The debtor can subsequently move to reopen the case to request that the discharge be granted.  The fee to reopen the case must be charged.

 

Step-by-Step Procedures:

1. Select [Bankruptcy>Other]

2. Enter case number and click Next

3. Select Certificate of Debtor Education from event pick list and click Next

4. Select Debtor(s) from party pick list and click Next

Note:  If the certificate applies to one of two debtors in a joint case, select that debtor's name only.

  The PDF Document selection screen will display.

5. Click Browse button and navigate to locate the appropriate document/file

6. View file Highlight filename
   Right click on filename
   Select Open
   Review document
   Close window to verify the correct file is being selected

7. Click Open button and filename will appear in the browse window

8. Click Next

If your case is a joint case, the following question will appear.  If not, go to step 10.

This Certificate of Debtor Education is for?

9. Click down arrow to select party the certificate is filed on behalf of

Both Debtors	Debtor	Joint Debtor
Select Both Debtors Click Next	Select Debtor Click Next The following question will appear; Filing a Certificate for one Debtor on a Joint Case. Is a Certificate of Debtor Education already filed for the other Debtor? Click down arrow to select Yes or No Click Next	Select Joint Debtor Click Next The following question will appear; Filing a Certificate for one Debtor on a Joint Case. Is a Certificate of Debtor Education already filed for the other Debtor? Click down arrow to select Yes or No Click Next

 

The Modify Docket Text screen will display.  Click down arrow to select a prefix if applicable.

10. Click Next

The Final Text screen will display.  This is your final opportunity to modify the entry before submitting the filing.

11. Verify the accuracy of the docket text.  If not correct/if correct

12. Click Next to complete filing process

The Notice of Electronic Filing will display.  It is the verification that the filing has been sent electronically to the court.

Copies of this notice and the document filed are emailed to all participants who receive electronic notification in the case.  You have a period of 15 days for a one time free look at the document filed.