Bankruptcy cases are in the public domain, meaning that anyone can access your bankruptcy case. However, newspapers rarely publish information about Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 personal bankruptcies. Your bankruptcy legal file will include financial records, affidavits, court records, and other related information. Once your debts have been settled and the bankruptcy procedure has been dissolved, law enforcement personnel and potential employers can view these records.
Additionally, a record of your bankruptcy will appear on your credit report for 5 to 10 years after you file it. Bankruptcies are considered a public record, but that doesn't mean that everyone will know about it. Bankruptcy proceedings are filed in a system called Public Access to Electronic Judicial Records (PACER). Newspapers may publish the names of people who have applied for bankruptcy aid, but with the high number of bankruptcy filings, it's no longer considered newsworthy. Commercial bankruptcies are more likely to appear in the newspaper since they affect a larger part of the community. It is unlikely that your personal bankruptcy will appear in the newspaper.
However, because bankruptcy cases are public record, there is nothing you can do to stop someone from accessing your case.
