The U.S. Trustee Program is implementing virtual § 341 meetings of creditors in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases in the Western District of Oklahoma for § 341 meetings being held on or after June 3, 2024.  For more information, including joining a meeting and what documents to provide to the trustee prior to the meeting, please see the OKC Bar Outreach flyer here with rollout session information, and go to https://www.justice.gov/ust/moc.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will perform database maintenance on its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.  E-filers will NOT be able to file electronically during this period. 
If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or Helpdesk@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The Oklahoma City Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is hosting a Judicial Reception and Fireside Chat with Chief Judge Sarah Hall and Judge Janice Loyd on April 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Colcord Hotel.  See flyer here and reserve your seats here.

The Oklahoma City Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is hosting a Judicial Reception and Fireside Chat with Chief Judge Sarah Hall and Judge Janice Loyd on April 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Colcord Hotel.  See flyer here and reserve your seats here.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is re-announcing the posting of proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines for public comment.  The proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available here.  Local Rules and Local Forms are displayed in a redline version illustrating the proposed revisions. Most Guidelines have been substantially revised, making a redline version impractical; consequently, clean versions of the proposed Guidelines are provided. 

The Court also posts a proposed revision to Local Rule 1001-1, new subsection J, “Signature, Verification, and Retention of Documents and Pleadings,” which provides:

“The electronic filing of a Document electronically signed by a client of the Registered Participant,
including but not limited to the petition, statement of financial affairs and schedules of assets and
liabilities, shall be deemed a certification by the Registered Participant that he or she has the
Document bearing the person’s original signature in his or her physical possession. The Registered
Participant must produce the original signed Document on request of the Court or a trustee.
Electronically filed pleadings and Documents requiring original signatures, other than the
signature of the Registered Participant, must be maintained in paper form by the Registered
Participant until one (1) year after the later of the running of the appeal time or closing of the
bankruptcy case.”

These proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available for public comment, until May 15, 2024.  Please share any comments with the Court by sending an email to comments@okwb.uscourts.gov by May 15, 2024.

Due to possible inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will close today Monday, April 1, 2024, at 2:30 PM.  The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and will continue to process these filing remotely.  If you have any questions regarding any hearing scheduled during this time, please contact chambers.  If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's Office at (405) 609-5700.

On March 26, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reappointed the Honorable Sarah A. Hall to serve a second term as bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.  Judge Hall’s second term will begin on August 11, 2024.

Transcripts – To order a transcript of a hearing, you must complete and submit our Transcript-Multimedia Order Form.  In addition, for expedited, 7-day, 3-day, Next-day and Realtime transcript requests, you must contact the Clerk’s Office one week in advance of the hearing in order for us to coordinate transcription services.

Email – We have changed our support email address, from trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov to Helpdesk@okwb.uscourts.gov.  Please contact us at Helpdesk@okwb.uscourts.gov with any questions regarding CM/ECF, CM/ECF events, or general questions.

Telephone – We have changed our support telephone number to our Main telephone number, which is 405-609-5700.  Please contact us at our main telephone number with any questions regarding CM/ECF, CM/ECF events, and general questions.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is re-announcing the posting of proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines, including proposed Chapter 11 Policies and Procedures in Subchapter V Cases, for public comment.  The proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available here and the proposed Chapter 11 Policies and Procedures in Subchapter V Cases can be found here.  Local Rules and Local Forms are displayed in a redline version illustrating the proposed revisions. Most Guidelines have been substantially revised, making a redline version impractical; consequently, clean versions of the proposed Guidelines are provided.

These proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available for public comment, until May 15, 2024.  Please share any comments with the Court by sending an email to comments@okwb.uscourts.gov by May 15, 2024.

The U.S. Trustee Program is implementing virtual § 341 meetings of creditors in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases in the Western District of Oklahoma for § 341 meetings being held on or after June 4, 2024. For more information, including joining a meeting and what documents to provide to the trustee prior to the meeting, go to https://www.justice.gov/ust/moc.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma announces the posting of proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines for public comment.  The proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available here.  Local Rules and Local Forms are displayed in a redline version illustrating the proposed revisions.  Guidelines have been substantially revised, making a redline version impractical; consequently, clean versions of the proposed revised Guidelines are provided.

Revision to Chapter 11 Guidelines is ongoing, and notification will be provided once draft revisions are posted for comment.

These proposed revised Local Rules, Local Forms, and Guidelines are available for public comment beginning February 15, 2024, until May 15, 2024.  Please share any comments with the Court by sending an email to comments@okwb.uscourts.gov by May 15, 2024.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will remain closed on Monday, January 22, 2024, and will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.  The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and will continue to process these filing remotely.  If you have any questions regarding any hearing scheduled during these times, please contact chambers.  If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's Office at (405) 609-5700.

Because of forecasted inclement weather, the Bankruptcy Court’s clerk’s office is delaying opening our front counter until 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 12.

Please find a public notice soliciting comments regarding the reappointment of Chief Bankruptcy Judge Sarah A. Hall in the Western District of Oklahoma and a public notice soliciting comments regarding the reappointment of Bankruptcy Judge Joel T. Marker in the District of Utah.

Public Notice – Judge Sarah A. Hall 
Public Notice – Judge Joel T. Marker

The Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and changes to the Miscellaneous Fee Schedule become effective December 1, 2023. Additionally, two official forms, approved by the Judicial Conference, and one Director’s Form, approved by the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules, are scheduled to take effect December 1, 2023.

Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure may be viewed here.

Changes to the Miscellaneous Fee Schedule may be viewed here.

Changes to the Official and Director’s Forms may be viewed here.

If you have questions or want more information, please contact us at Helpdesk@okwb.uscourts.gov or at 405-609-5700.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed on Friday, November 24, 2023 as per General Order 23-02. 
If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

In the event Congress does not pass a budget or a continuing resolution funding the federal government before October 1, 2023, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will remain open and continue operations.  The Case Management/ Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system will remain operational to accept electronic filings as will Electronic Document Submission System (EDSS) for pro se filers.  The clerk’s office will remain available by phone (405-609-5700), email (trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov), or in person at the intake counter to provide assistance each weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If a shutdown occurs, the Court will enter a general order on Monday, October 2, 2023, extending deadlines applicable to United States governmental units, including the Office of the United States Trustee and United States Attorney’s offices.

If you have questions or want more information, please contact us at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov or at 405-609-5700.

We are announcing some contact information updates in Chief Judge Hall’s chambers.  After more than three decades of dedicated public service, Courtroom Deputy Denise Calvert is retiring on September 30, 2023.  Denise’s successor is Dominique McGee, who will begin full-time courtroom deputy duties on Monday, October 2, 2023.  Dominique will retain Denise’s telephone number, and, beginning October 2, 2023, she will be available to respond to any courtroom deputy questions about Chief Judge Hall’s docket at 405-609-5662 or by email at Judge_Hall_CRD@okwb.uscourts.gov.

We cannot thank Denise enough for the steadfast and exceptional support she has provided to Judge Bohanan and Chief Judge Hall.  Denise has been an excellent liaison with the Bar and will  be sorely missed.  Denise has been working closely with Dominique, a former Case Administrator II in the Clerk’s Office, to ensure a smooth transition.  We wish Denise the best in her well-earned retirement, and we welcome Dominique to her new role.

If you have any questions or want more information, please contact us at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov or at 405-609-5700.

Federal Rules and Forms Published for Public Comment

On August 15, 2023, the Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Appellate, Bankruptcy, and Civil Rules published proposed amendments to their respective rules and forms. The proposed amendments are open for public comment through February 16, 2024.

Read more.

We are pleased to inform you that the Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts Bankruptcy Committee has produced an educational video on paths to the bench spotlighting the appointment of Bankruptcy Judges.

Click to see the Bankruptcy Courts and Paths to the Bench video.

The Court entered General Order 23-01 addressing pleadings using generative artificial intelligence.

Effective May 1, 2023, the fee for attorneys requesting admission to the Oklahoma Western bar pro hac vice is $100.00 per request.  To view District Court’s pro hac vice Miscellaneous Order, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Pursuant to our Local Rules and Guidelines for Electronic Case Filing, Registered Participants and Limited Participants are required to maintain current contact information in CM/ECF.  Contact information includes address, phone number, and email address. Registered Participants and Limited participants contact information in the signature block of filings must be the same as it is in CM/ECF.  Electronic filing privileges may be deactivated if the Registered Participant or Limited Participant fails to maintain current contact information in CM/ECF.  For instructions on how to update your contact information via PACER to comply with Local Rules, click here.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has re-opened one employment opportunity:  (i) Case Administrator.  Please review the vacancy announcement for more details. 

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has two employment opportunities:  (i) Case Administrator and (ii) Court Intern.  Please review the vacancy announcements for more details. 

We are making available binders that were previously used as exhibit books.  The binders vary in size and color and are all in excellent condition.  If you would like to retrieve a box of gently-used binders at no cost, please visit the intake counter of the clerk’s office.  Binders are located adjacent to the PACER terminals and are available for pick-up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you have any questions or would like to check the availability of the free binders, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

REMINDER:  On April 3, 2023, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is hosting the 2023 Roadways to the Bench [“RTB”] Event. This event aims to further the judiciary’s goal of attracting the broadest possible pool of qualified applicants who seek appointments to Article I and Article III judgeships. The first event was held in Washington, D.C. and eighteen other city locations by the Bankruptcy Bench in 2019. Since that inaugural event, at least ten participants have assumed positions in the Article I and Article III Judiciary.

At least thirty-eight cities will be participating in the second RTB simulcast event on April 3, 2023, starting at 3:00pm CDT, including Oklahoma City at the William J. Holloway, Jr. U.S. Courthouse.  During the simulcast, Article I judges from the Western District of Oklahoma (Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sarah A. Hall, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Janice D. Loyd, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin, U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Maxfield Green) will be present as well as Article I judges from the Northern and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma, including U.S. Magistrate Judge Jodi Jayne, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terrence Michael, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul Thomas.  Following the simulcast, the judges will hold small group meetings among the participants interested in pursuing careers on the bench.  Please join us, and please encourage anyone interested in seeking appointment to an Article I or Article III judgeship to attend.  Click here for more information and here to register for the event.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

We are making available binders that were previously used as exhibit books.  The binders vary in size and color and are all in excellent condition.  If you would like to retrieve a box of gently-used binders at no cost, please visit the intake counter of the clerk’s office.  Binders are located adjacent to the PACER terminals and are available for pick-up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

On April 3, 2023, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is hosting the 2023 Roadways to the Bench [“RTB”] Event. This event aims to further the judiciary’s goal of attracting the broadest possible pool of qualified applicants who seek appointments to Article I and Article III judgeships. The first event was held in Washington, D.C. and eighteen other city locations by the Bankruptcy Bench in 2019. Since that inaugural event, at least ten participants have assumed positions in the Article I and Article III Judiciary.

At least thirty-eight cities will be participating in the second RTB simulcast event on April 3, 2023, starting at 3:00pm CDT, including Oklahoma City at the William J. Holloway, Jr. U.S. Courthouse.  During the simulcast, Article I judges from the Western District of Oklahoma (Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sarah A. Hall, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Janice D. Loyd, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin, U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Maxfield Green) will be present as well as Article I judges from the Northern and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma, including U.S. Magistrate Judge Jodi Jayne, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terrence Michael, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul Thomas.  Following the simulcast, the judges will hold small group meetings among the participants interested in pursuing careers on the bench.  Please join us, and please encourage anyone interested in seeking appointment to an Article I or Article III judgeship to attend.  Click here for more information and here to register for the event.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will perform database maintenance on its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) on Saturday, February 25, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  E-filers will NOT be able to file electronically during this period.  For emergency filings during this maintenance period, attorneys and the public may use our Electronic Document Submission System online filing system program (EDSS).
If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Please find a public notice soliciting comments regarding the reappointment of Chief Bankruptcy Judge Robert Jacobvitz in the District of New Mexico.
Public Notice.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has added Chapter 13 Bankruptcy petitions to the Electronic Self-Representation (also known as “eSR”) online tool.   eSR assists pro se debtors in preparing chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions for filing with the court without an attorney.  It is not available for attorneys or bankruptcy petition preparers and cannot be used for business or corporate bankruptcy filings.  To learn more about eSR, please click here.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.  The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and eSR, and will continue to process these filings remotely.  If you have any questions regarding any hearing scheduled during these times, please contact chambers.  If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will close at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 and will open at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.  The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and eSR, and will continue to process these filings remotely.  If you have any questions regarding any hearing scheduled during these times, please contact chambers. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has implemented the Electronic Self-Representation (also known as “eSR”) online tool.   eSR assists pro se debtors in preparing chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions for filing with the court without an attorney.  It is not available for attorneys or bankruptcy petition preparers and cannot be used for business or corporate bankruptcy filings.  To learn more about eSR, please click here.

The Court entered General Order 22-06 abrogating General Order 20-1. Judge Hall’s chambers has relocated to the sixth floor beginning December 1, 2022.   Judge Hall’s hearings will be held in the sixth-floor courtroom.

The following changes have become effective as of December 1, 2022:

Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

• 1007, 1020, 2009, 2012, 2015, 3002, 3010, 3011, 3014, 3016, 3017.1, 3017.2 (new), 3018, 3019, 5005, 7004, and 8023.

These rules changes, as well as the changes to Appellate Rules 25 and 42, and Civil Rule 7.1, can be viewed on the Pending Rules and Forms Amendments page of the United States Courts website.  The Congressional Package dated April 2022 contains blackline versions of the Rules and Committee Notes for a quick reference of the changes.

Changes to the Official Forms

• Official Form 101, Voluntary Petition for Individuals (revises lines 2 and 4)
• Official Form 309E1, Notice of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case (For Individuals or Joint Debtors) (revises line 7)
• Official Form 309E2, Notice of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case (For Individuals or Joint Debtors under Subchapter V) (revises line 8)

Changes to the official forms may be viewed at https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/pending-rules-and-forms-amendments/pending-and-recent-changes-bankruptcy-forms.  Please work with your bankruptcy software provider to ensure you are using the correct official forms.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The Court entered General Order 22-05 appointing a Permanent Standing Local Rules Committee.

The following changes will become effective on December 1, 2022, absent congressional intervention.

Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

• 1007, 1020, 2009, 2012, 2015, 3002, 3010, 3011, 3014, 3016, 3017.1, 3017.2 (new), 3018, 3019, 5005, 7004, and 8023.

These rules changes, as well as the changes to Appellate Rules 25 and 42, and Civil Rule 7.1, can be viewed on the Pending Rules and Forms Amendments page of the United States Courts website.  The Congressional Package dated April 2022 contains blackline versions of the Rules and Committee Notes for a quick reference of the changes.

Changes to the Official Forms

• Official Form 101, Voluntary Petition for Individuals (revises lines 2 and 4)
• Official Form 309E1, Notice of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case (For Individuals or Joint Debtors) (revises line 7)
• Official Form 309E2, Notice of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case (For Individuals or Joint Debtors under Subchapter V) (revises line 8)

Changes to the official forms may be viewed at https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/pending-rules-and-forms-amendments/pending-and-recent-changes-bankruptcy-forms.

Please work with your bankruptcy software provider to ensure you are using the correct official forms.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma announces holiday-related court closings.  The Court will be closed on Friday, November 25, 2022 and Friday, December 23, 2022, as per General Order 22-04 regarding this closing.
If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk's Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to NextGen 1.7.1.1.

To install this upgrade, the Court’s CM/ECF system will be unavailable for electronic filing beginning Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 9 AM (CDT) through Noon (CDT).  E-filers will NOT be able to file electronically while we make this upgrade and should plan accordingly.  For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our Electronic Document Submission System online filing system program (EDSS).

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)

Are you a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking attempting to hide from your perpetrator? Do you live in fear of being located? If so, the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) may be the help that you need.

The ACP provides you with a substitute address that can be used when interacting with state and local government agencies. The substitute address serves as your home, work, and school address. Acceptance of the address by government agencies ensures your perpetrator does not use government records to locate you. The address can be used for enrolling children in public schools, driver license, social services, child support, court documents, protective orders and much more. Additionally, the ACP can help with confidentiality when applying for public utilities, registering to vote and transfer of school records.

For more information about the program and how to apply, follow this link:  Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.

The Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure has approved publication for public comment of the following proposed amendments to existing rules and forms, as well as one new rule:

• Appellate Rules 32, 35, 40, and Appendix on Length Limits
• Bankruptcy Restyled Rules Parts VII to IX, Rules 1007, 4004, 5009, 7001, 9006, and proposed new Rule 8023.1
• Official Bankruptcy Form 410A
• Civil Rule 12
• Evidence Rules 611, 613, 801, 804, and 1006

The proposals and supporting materials are posted on the Judiciary’s website at: https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/proposed-amendments-published-public-comment
 
The public comment period opened August 15, 2022 and closes on February 16, 2023.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is pleased to announce a new, free mobile app available for download to your iOS or Android device. ChapMobile offers a central location for on-demand viewing of bankruptcy hearings and 341 Meeting schedules. Using the App eliminates time-consuming searches on the court website. It also offers lawyers, trustees, or other partners of the bankruptcy court free and efficient tracking for cases, debtors, and attorneys. The App offers easy search tools and custom settings for a streamlined consistent user experience.

With the ChapMobile App:

• View calendars for all judges or create shortcuts to specific judge(s) calendar(s)
• Search for a hearing by debtor name or case number
• Add attorneys, debtors, and case numbers to “My Lists” for easy and convenient tracking
• View 341 Meetings organized by Trustee. Search for 341 Meetings by attorney, debtor, or case number
• Search for attorneys to view their upcoming hearings scheduled on the calendar
• The “active hearings” icon  displays when hearings are scheduled
• When multiple Attorneys exist for a hearing two icons display:
  
  • Tap  to expand the list of attorneys. Tap  to minimize it
• Set preferences for your “favorite” court and other settings 
• View court locations, contact information, and website links
• Navigate to a different Bankruptcy court’s mobile calendar
• Refresh the app anytime with a swipe down on the Home screen
• IPC Instructions

All you have to do is download the App to your phone or tablet or for the following devices:

• iOS devices – Go to Apple’s App store, and search “ChapMobile”. This will require an Apple ID. Install the app.

Note: While the app was developed by the Utah Bankruptcy Court (which is listed in the name) it is designed to work with participating courts, such as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

• Android devices – Go to Google’s Play store, and search “ChapMobile”. Install the app.

Note: While the app was developed by the Utah Bankruptcy Court (which is listed in the name) it is designed to work with participating courts, such as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

In addition to the ChapMobile App, we have added a new calendar system for court hearings and 341 hearings to our website.

• Court hearings can be found here: https://ecf.okwb.uscourts.gov/ipc.html
• 341 hearings can be found here: https://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/meeting_341

One difference in this new calendar compared to our prior one is that stricken, removed, or continued hearings no longer appear on the new calendar.  Previously, the hearing would remain on the calendar and have a note that it was stricken, removed, or continued.  Under the new calendar system, once the hearing is removed from the calendar, there is no longer a note reflecting its status.  Cancelled hearings will show as “Cancelled”.

Due to security concerns, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will discontinue providing public wi-fi service in the courtrooms effective August 15, 2022.  As of August 15, 2022, attorneys will need to furnish their own hotspots or wi-fi service for the courtrooms.

If you have any questions, please contact us at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov or (405) 609-5700.

General Order 22-03, In re Interim Bankruptcy Rule 1020.

On June 21, 2022, the “Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act” (BTATC) (Pub. L. No. 117-151) was signed into law by the President.  The new law has a direct impact on the bankruptcy system and the administration of bankruptcy cases.  The BTATC includes three major provisions:

1. Extends for two years the increase of the amount of debt (up to $7,500,000) allowed to be carried by debtors to qualify for small business reorganization under subchapter V (applies retroactively to cases commenced on or after March 27, 2022, and with respect to a case that was commenced on or after March 27, 2020, and before June 21, 2022, is pending on June 21, 2022),
2. Increases, for two years, the debt limit for individuals filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 13 (to less than $2,750,000) and allows both secured and unsecured debt to count towards this single limit (effective June 21, 2022), and
3. Provides technical amendments to the BAIA (to 28 U.S.C. § 589(a) specifically), which are effective as of October 1, 2021.

Additionally, the BTATC reinstates the definition of “debtor” for determining eligibility to proceed under subchapter V chapter 11 that was in effect from March 27, 2020 to March 27, 2022.  As a result, Line 13 of Official Form 101, and Line 8 of Official Form 201, have been updated to reflect the change.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

We previously received instructions to deactivate an event in CM/ECF because certain sections of the CARES Act expired on March 27, 2022.  Upon closer scrutiny, Sections 4022 and 4023 did not expire.  As a result, we returned an event to active status.  The event is Notice of Debtors Request for Post-Petition Mortgage Payment Forbearance Due to COVID-19.  You can find the event using one the following menus:

Bankruptcy > Claims Actions > Notice of Debtors Request for Post-Petition Mortgage Payment Forbearance Due to COVID-19

Bankruptcy > Creditor Claimant Activity > Notice of Debtors Request for Post-Petition Mortgage Payment Forbearance Due to COVID-19

Bankruptcy > Notices (bk) > Notice of Debtors Request for Post-Petition Mortgage Payment Forbearance Due to COVID-19

Bankruptcy > Other (bk) > Notice of Debtors Request for Post-Petition Mortgage Payment Forbearance Due to COVID-19

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma invites members of the bankruptcy bar to attend a brown bag lunch meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at noon.  Chief Judge Hall, Judge Loyd, Court Clerk Doug Wedge, Chief Deputy Clerk Steve Rogers and Operations Supervisor Barbara Montague will share court news and updates and answer questions about returning to in-person hearings.

The meeting will be held in the jury assembly room on the first floor of the William J. Holloway, Jr. United States Courthouse, 200 NW 4^th Street, Oklahoma City.  Attendees are responsible for providing their own lunch.  We ask that you kindly register to attend by emailing trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will close at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.  The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and will continue to process these filings remotely.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma invites members of the bankruptcy bar to attend a brown bag lunch meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at noon.  Chief Judge Hall, Judge Loyd, Court Clerk Doug Wedge, and Chief Deputy Clerk Steve Rogers will share court news and updates and answer questions about returning to in-person hearings.

The meeting will be held in the jury assembly room on the first floor of the William J. Holloway, Jr. United States Courthouse, 200 NW 4^th Street, Oklahoma City.  Attendees are responsible for providing their own lunch.  We ask that you kindly register to attend by emailing trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

On March 29, 2022, the Court entered General Order 22-02, In re:  Original Signature Requirements and CARES Act Expiration.  General Order 22-02 supersedes two general orders entered in Spring 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, General Order 20-7 and General Order 20-9.  General Order 20-7 temporarily suspends requirements to obtain original signatures provided certain conditions are fulfilled.  This temporary suspension will end effective April 15, 2022.  In response to the passage of the CARES Act and its adoption of temporary revisions to the Bankruptcy Code, General Order 20-9 amends the Interim Bankruptcy Rules for the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.  With Section 1113 of that legislation expiring on March 27, 2022, General Order 20-9 is no longer necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to NextGen 1.7.

To install this upgrade, the Court’s CM/ECF system will be unavailable for electronic filing beginning Saturday, April 2, 2022, at 8 AM (CDT) through Sunday, April 3, 2022, at 8 AM.  E-filers will NOT be able to file electronically while we make this upgrade and should plan accordingly.  For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

On March 18, 2022, the Court entered General Order 22-01, In re:  Reinstituting In-Person Hearings and Procedure for Requesting Remote Hearings.  If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit seeks applications for a bankruptcy judgeship in the District of Utah.  Bankruptcy judges are appointed to 14-year terms pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §152.  The position is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and will be available February 13, 2023, pending successful completion of a background investigation.  The current annual salary is $205,528.  Please visit www.ca10.uscourts.gov/hr/jobs to view the position requirements and download the application.  The deadline for applications is Thursday, May 19, 2022.

The OKWB CM/ECF System is available for outside users. Due to our system being unavailable for part of Friday, March 11, 2022, any Friday filing deadline will be pushed to Monday, March 14, 2022 in order to eliminate confusion or hardship.

Multiple Federal Courts are reporting a service disruption that is impacting the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system as of Friday, March 11, 2022. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts is validating this service disruption and taking steps to resolve it.  When the service returns to normal, we will send out an updated notice.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

On April 1, 2022, adjustments to the dollar amounts stated in various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and one provision of Title 28 of the United States Code will go into effect for cases filed on or after that date.  The adjustments’ timing and calculation are codified in 11 U.S.C. § 104.

The adjusted dollar amounts will affect, among other matters:

• the eligibility to file a case under chapters 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code;

• the definition of a small business debtor;

• the maximum values of certain property that a debtor may claim as exempt;

• the maximum amounts of certain claims entitled to priority;

• the calculation of the “means test” for chapter 7 debtors;

• the duration of certain chapter 13 plans;

• the minimum aggregate value of claims needed to commence an involuntary bankruptcy case;

• the minimum value for certain preference actions;

• the value of consumer debts for luxury goods and services presumed to be nondischargeable; and

• where the trustee may commence certain proceedings.

On February 4, 2022, the adjusted dollar amounts were published in volume 87, number 24 of the Federal Register at pages 6625-6626.  The adjustments reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the U.S. Department of Labor for the three-year period ending immediately before January 1, 2022, and they are rounded to the nearest $25.

Seven Official Bankruptcy Forms and two Director’s Forms contain references to several of the affected dollar amounts:

• Official Form 106C, Schedule C: The Property You Claim as Exempt;

• Official Form 107, Statement of Financial Affairs for Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy;

• Official Form 122A-2, Chapter 7 Means Test Calculation;

• Official Form 122C-2, Chapter 13 Calculation of Your Disposable Income;

• Official Form 201, Voluntary Petition for Non-Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy;

• Official Form 207, Statement of Financial Affairs for Non-Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy;

• Official Form 410, Proof of Claim;

• Director’s Form 2000, Required Lists, Schedules, Statements, and Fees; and

• Director’s Form 2830, Chapter 13 Debtor’s Certifications Regarding Domestic Support Obligations and Section 522(q).

The revised forms will be effective on April 1, 2022, and they will apply to cases filed on or after that date.  The revised forms incorporating the dollar amount adjustments have been posted to the Pending Changes in the Bankruptcy Forms page of the uscourts.gov website.  Once effective, the revised forms will be available on the Bankruptcy Forms page.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed until 10 AM on Friday, March 11, 2022. The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and will continue to process these filings remotely.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed on Thursday, February 24, 2022. The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and will continue to process these filings remotely.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. The clerk's office will continue to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and will continue to process these filings remotely.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The nationwide service interruption that the PACER system experienced on 02/03/2022 has been resolved.

Registered users for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma should be able to access the Court's Case Management/Electronic Case Filing ("CM/ECF") system without issue.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will remain closed on Friday, February 4, 2022.  The clerk’s office continues to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and continues to process these filings remotely.

The PACER system is experiencing a nationwide outage which may prevent registered users for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma from accessing the Court's Case Management/Electronic Case Filing ("CM/ECF") system.

Please visit PACER's website (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/) for updates regarding the service interruption.

A notification will be sent when the service is restored.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will remain closed on Thursday, February 3, 2022.  The clerk’s office continues to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and continues to process these filings remotely.

Due to inclement weather, the front counter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will close on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at 11:00 AM.  The clerk’s office continues to accept filings from attorneys through CM/ECF and from pro se filers through EDSS and continues to process these filings remotely.

Several bankruptcy provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act expired on December 27, 2021.  A bill passed the U.S. Senate on December 20, 2021 to extend the deadlines through March 27, 2022, however the U.S. House of Representatives has not taken up the legislation.  Consequently, effective immediately, these CM/ECF events are no longer available for filers:

  Bankruptcy Events → Motions/Applications

• Discharge Pursuant to Section 1328(i), Motion for

  Bankruptcy Events → Claim Actions

• Supplemental Proof of Claim for CARES Forbearance Claim

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov .

Effective December 1, 2021, the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts has designated any entity that receives 100 or more paper bankruptcy notices in a single calendar month as a high-volume paper notice recipient pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9036(b)(2)(B) (as amended effective December 1, 2021) (the “Rule”). The threshold number of paper notices that will cause a notice recipient to be designated as a high-volume paper notice recipient pursuant to the Rule will be reviewed annually and may be adjusted once a year, effective on December 1st of each year.

Once the threshold paper notice amount is reached, the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) will notify the notice recipient that it must register for Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (EBN) or that, if the recipient does not register within 45 days of the date of the notification, the BNC will establish an electronic address where the Director designates the recipient to receive its notices pursuant to the Rule.

If you have questions, please contact (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

On June 21, 2021, the United States Trustee Program’s rule entitled Uniform Periodic Reports in Cases Filed Under Chapter 11 of Title 11, published at 28 C.F.R. § 58.8 (the “Final Rule”) became effective.  The Final Rule requires that chapter 11 debtors-in-possession and trustees, other than in small business and subchapter V cases, file monthly operating reports and post-confirmation reports using streamlined, data-embedded, uniform forms in every judicial district where the U.S. Trustee Program operates.

On November 30, 2021, the United States Trustee Program will post on its website updated versions of the UST Form 11-MOR, Monthly Operating Reports (“MOR”) and UST Form 11-PCR, Post-confirmation Reports (“PCR”), that should be used for all reports filed after that date.(1)  Designed to improve the overall user experience, the updates will streamline the process of embedding data on the forms by using standard PDF bar-code technology.  The updates do not impact the information required to be reported on the MORs and PCRs.

To obtain important information related to periodic reporting under the Final Rule, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ust/chapter-11-operating-reports.  While at that webpage, please subscribe to the “Chapter 11 Operating Reports E-mail Updates” feature to automatically receive future email updates about the forms and periodic reporting under the Final Rule.

(1.) Please note the USTP’s posting of updated MOR and PCR forms is unrelated to the December 1, 2021 amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and revisions to Official Forms.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma announces a holiday-related court closing.  The Court will be closed on Friday, November 26, 2021.  Attached is General Order 21-02 regarding this closing.
If you have any questions, please contact trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

NEXTGEN IS HERE! ACTION REQUIRED

ARE YOU A FILING ATTORNEY, TRUSTEE or LIMITED PARTICIPANT?

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has upgraded its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 

Upgrade Your PACER Account

If your PACER account was created prior to August 2014,  you need to upgrade your account.  An upgraded PACER account allows you to use the same account to search for case information and file electronically in a court using NextGen court CM/ECF. 

To upgrade your existing PACER account: 

• Log in with your PACER username and password, and check the Account Type. If your account is already upgraded, it will say ‘Account Type: Upgraded PACER Account.’ If it indicates ‘Account Type: Legacy PACER Account’, select the Upgrade link.  
• Complete the Upgrade PACER account screens by validating your account information, adding date of birth, county, creating new username, creating new password, and selecting security questions.  
• For more help, review the step by step guide on upgrading your PACER account. 

If you don’t already have a PACER account, follow the steps to complete the registration.

 Link Your CM/ECF Filing Account to Your Upgraded PACER Account

After or on Monday, November 1^st, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT), you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts. 

• Go to the NextGen CM/ECF website for OKWB.  
• Click the “CM/ECF Document Filing System” link. At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER account credentials. 
• Click the “Utilities” menu. 
• Click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” If you do not see this option, look for “NextGen Release 1.1 Menu Item,” click it, and then click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” 
• Enter your CM/ECF login and password. 
• You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts.  
• If successful, you will be sent to the welcome screen for our court. If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history. 
• If unsuccessful, please try again. To reset your password, or obtain your CM/ECF username, contact the court at 405-609-5700
• For more help, review the step by step guide on linking your CM/ECF account.
• Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one  Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.
• Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account.
• Visit the Court's NextGen Information Page on our website (http://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/) for important information.
• If you have questions, please contact the Clerk's office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

ARE YOU A FILING ATTORNEY, TRUSTEE or LIMITED PARTICIPANT?

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 

          TODAY FRIDAY OCTOBER 29th, 2021 at 11:00 AM the CM/ECF System will be taken down and will not be available until Monday, November 1st, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT) more information below:

1. The Court's CM/ECF System will be unavailable for electronic filing Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM (CDT) through Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:00 AM (CDT) in order to upgrade the CM/ECF System. During this time, e-filers will NOT be able to file electronically and should plan accordingly. For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system, or submit their filings to the Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

2. Upgrade Your PACER Account

If your PACER account was created prior to August 2014, you may need to upgrade your account before your court moves to NextGen CM/ECF.  An upgraded PACER account allows you to use the same account to search for case information and file electronically in a court using NextGen court CM/ECF. 

To upgrade your existing PACER account: 

• Log in with your PACER username and password, and check the Account Type. If your account is already upgraded, it will say ‘Account Type: Upgraded PACER Account.’ If it indicates ‘Account Type: Legacy PACER Account’, select the Upgrade link.  
• Complete the Upgrade PACER account screens by validating your account information, adding date of birth, county, creating new username, creating new password, and selecting security questions.  
• For more help, review the step by step guide on upgrading your PACER account. 

If you don’t already have a PACER account, follow the steps to complete the registration.

3. Link Your CM/ECF Filing Account to Your Upgraded PACER Account

After or on Monday, November 1^st, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT), you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts. 

• Go to the NextGen CM/ECF website for OKWB.  
• Click the “CM/ECF Document Filing System” link. At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER account credentials. 
• Click the “Utilities” menu. 
• Click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” If you do not see this option, look for “NextGen Release 1.1 Menu Item,” click it, and then click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” 
• Enter your CM/ECF login and password. 
• You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts.  
• If successful, you will be sent to the welcome screen for that court. If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history. 
• If unsuccessful, please try again. To reset your password, or obtain your CM/ECF username, contact the court at 405-609-5700
• For more help, review the step by step guide on linking your CM/ECF account.
• Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one BEFORE the Court upgrades to NextGen. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.
• Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account. This linkage, however, cannot be done until AFTER the court upgrades to NextGen.
• NextGen will allow filers to use a single account to view documents in PACER and to electronically file documents in CM/ECF. Be prepared to link your PACER account to your CM/ECF account on Monday, November 1, 2021. Visit the Court's NextGen Information Page on our website (http://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/) for important information.
• If you have questions, please contact the Clerk's office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

NEXTGEN IS ALMOST HERE! ACTION REQUIRED

ARE YOU A FILING ATTORNEY, TRUSTEE or LIMITED PARTICIPANT?

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF in less than 6 days.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 

1. The Court's CM/ECF System will be unavailable for electronic filing Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM (CDT) through Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:00 AM (CDT) in order to upgrade the CM/ECF System. During this time, e-filers will NOT be able to file electronically and should plan accordingly. For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system, or submit their filings to the Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

2. Upgrade Your PACER Account

If your PACER account was created prior to August 2014, you may need to upgrade your account before your court moves to NextGen CM/ECF.  An upgraded PACER account allows you to use the same account to search for case information and file electronically in a court using NextGen court CM/ECF. 

To upgrade your existing PACER account: 

• Log in with your PACER username and password, and check the Account Type. If your account is already upgraded, it will say ‘Account Type: Upgraded PACER Account.’ If it indicates ‘Account Type: Legacy PACER Account’, select the Upgrade link.  
• Complete the Upgrade PACER account screens by validating your account information, adding date of birth, county, creating new username, creating new password, and selecting security questions.  
• For more help, review the step by step guide on upgrading your PACER account. 

If you don’t already have a PACER account, follow the steps to complete the registration.

3. Link Your CM/ECF Filing Account to Your Upgraded PACER Account

After or on Monday, November 1^st, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT), you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts. 

• Go to the NextGen CM/ECF website for OKWB.  
• Click the “CM/ECF Document Filing System” link. At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER account credentials. 
• Click the “Utilities” menu. 
• Click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” If you do not see this option, look for “NextGen Release 1.1 Menu Item,” click it, and then click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” 
• Enter your CM/ECF login and password. 
• You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts.  
• If successful, you will be sent to the welcome screen for that court. If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history. 
• If unsuccessful, please try again. To reset your password, or obtain your CM/ECF username, contact the court at 405-609-5700
• For more help, review the step by step guide on linking your CM/ECF account.
• Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one BEFORE the Court upgrades to NextGen. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.
• Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account. This linkage, however, cannot be done until AFTER the court upgrades to NextGen.
• NextGen will allow filers to use a single account to view documents in PACER and to electronically file documents in CM/ECF. Be prepared to link your PACER account to your CM/ECF account on Monday, November 1, 2021. Visit the Court's NextGen Information Page on our website (http://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/) for important information.
• If you have questions, please contact the Clerk's office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

ARE YOU A FILING ATTORNEY, TRUSTEE or LIMITED PARTICIPANT?

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF in less than 15 days.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 

1. The Court's CM/ECF System will be unavailable for electronic filing Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM (CDT) through Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:00 AM (CDT) in order to upgrade the CM/ECF System. During this time, e-filers will NOT be able to file electronically and should plan accordingly. For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system, or submit their filings to the Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

2. Upgrade Your PACER Account

If your PACER account was created prior to August 2014, you may need to upgrade your account before your court moves to NextGen CM/ECF.  An upgraded PACER account allows you to use the same account to search for case information and file electronically in a court using NextGen court CM/ECF. 

To upgrade your existing PACER account: 

• Log in with your PACER username and password, and check the Account Type. If your account is already upgraded, it will say ‘Account Type: Upgraded PACER Account.’ If it indicates ‘Account Type: Legacy PACER Account’, select the Upgrade link.  
• Complete the Upgrade PACER account screens by validating your account information, adding date of birth, county, creating new username, creating new password, and selecting security questions.  
• For more help, review the step by step guide on upgrading your PACER account. 

If you don’t already have a PACER account, follow the steps to complete the registration.

3. Link Your CM/ECF Filing Account to Your Upgraded PACER Account

After or on Monday, November 1^st, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT), you must link your CM/ECF filing credentials (login and password) to your upgraded PACER account. You must know both sets of credentials to link the accounts. 

• Go to the NextGen CM/ECF website for OKWB.  
• Click the “CM/ECF Document Filing System” link. At the login screen, log in with your upgraded PACER account credentials. 
• Click the “Utilities” menu. 
• Click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” If you do not see this option, look for “NextGen Release 1.1 Menu Item,” click it, and then click “Link a CM/ECF account to my PACER account.” 
• Enter your CM/ECF login and password. 
• You will be prompted to confirm the CM/ECF account being linked to the PACER account to ensure you are not linking the wrong accounts.  
• If successful, you will be sent to the welcome screen for that court. If the filing menu options do not appear, refresh your browser (F5) and/or clear your cookies, cache, and history. 
• If unsuccessful, please try again. To reset your password, or obtain your CM/ECF username, contact the court at 405-609-5700
• For more help, review the step by step guide on linking your CM/ECF account.
• Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one BEFORE the Court upgrades to NextGen. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.
• Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account. This linkage, however, cannot be done until AFTER the court upgrades to NextGen.
• NextGen will allow filers to use a single account to view documents in PACER and to electronically file documents in CM/ECF. Be prepared to link your PACER account to your CM/ECF account on Monday, November 1, 2021. Visit the Court's NextGen Information Page on our website (http://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/) for important information.
• If you have questions, please contact the Clerk's office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

ARE YOU A FILING ATTORNEY, TRUSTEE or LIMITED PARTICIPANT?

NEXTGEN IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING - Monday, November 1, 2021 (Action Required)

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF in less than 30 days.

The Court's CM/ECF System will be unavailable for electronic filing Friday, October 29, 2021, at 11:00 AM (CDT) through Monday, November 1, 2021, at 8:00 AM (CDT) in order to upgrade the CM/ECF System. During this time, e-filers will NOT be able to file electronically and should plan accordingly. For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system, located at www.okwb.uscourts.gov or submit their filings to the Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

Find out more information at: OKWB NextGen is Coming

Questions may be e-mailed to our helpdesk at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov. Also, feel free to contact the Clerk’s Office directly with any questions: 405-609-5700

Thank you in advance for your cooperation as the court prepares to upgrade to NextGen ECF.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF in less than 30 days.

 IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 

1. The Court's CM/ECF System will be unavailable for electronic filing Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:00 AM (CDT) through Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:00 AM (CDT) in order to upgrade the CM/ECF System. During this time, e-filers will NOT be able to file electronically and should plan accordingly. For emergency filings during this time, attorneys and the public may use our EDSS online filing system, or submit their filings to the Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

2. Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one before the Court upgrades to NextGen. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/reg_firm.html.

3. Existing “Legacy” PACER accounts (accounts issued prior to August 11, 2014) must be upgraded. Go to www.pacer.gov, Manage My Account, and login with the attorney’s current PACER credentials. Note the display in Account Type. If “Legacy,” select Upgrade, and update the information.

4. Each attorney MUST know his/her current CM/ECF login/password for filing documents. Make sure attorneys know their CM/ECF login and password before the court upgrades to NextGen. If the login information is stored in the browser, it WILL be lost and not recoverable. Once the court upgrades, attorneys must link their existing ECF accounts to their upgraded PACER accounts for Central Sign On. If an attorney does not know his/her login or password, please call the Court Clerk’s office at 405-609-5700.

5. Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account. This linkage, however, cannot be done until AFTER the court upgrades to NextGen.

6. NextGen will allow filers to use a single account to view documents in PACER and to electronically file documents in CM/ECF. Be prepared to link your PACER account to your CM/ECF account on Monday, November 1, 2021. Visit the Court's NextGen Information Page on our website (http://www.okwb.uscourts.gov/) for important information.

The bench, bar, and public have been asked to provide comments on proposed interim regulations for the administration of a new payment for trustees serving in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases under the Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2020.

The comment period runs from Aug. 30, 2021 to Sept. 17, 2021. Interested parties can submit comments electronically through the regulations.gov portal.

The legislation, signed into law on Jan. 12, 2021, adds subsection (e) to 11 U.S.C. § 330 (link is external), establishing a new Judiciary payment for Chapter 7 trustees, funded by excess collections in the U.S. Trustee System Fund. The new payment supplements the existing $60 payments that bankruptcy courts make to trustees serving in Chapter 7 cases under section 330(b). To accomplish these payments, the statute directs the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to issue regulations for administering the law.

Trustees serving in cases filed under or converted to Chapter 7 from Jan. 12, 2021 to the end of fiscal year 2026, will be eligible to receive up to $60, depending on the availability of funds in the U.S. Trustee System Fund, for each case in which services were rendered.

The interim regulations for administration of the new payment will take effect on Sept. 30, 2021.
For instructions on submitting comments, visit the regulations.gov FAQ section. General questions regarding the proposed regulations may be submitted by email to AOml_BAIA2020@ao.uscourts.gov (link sends e-mail).

The Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure has approved publication for public comment of the following proposed amendments to existing rules and forms, as well as several new rules and forms:

• Appellate Rules 2 and 4
• Bankruptcy Restyled Rules Parts III-VI; Rules 3002.1, 3011, and 8003; and new Rule 9038
• Official Bankruptcy Forms 101, 309E1, 309E2, and 417A; and new Official Bankruptcy Forms 410C13-1N, 410C13-1R, 410C13-10C,410C13-10NC, and 410C13-10R
• Civil Rules 15, 72, and new Rule 87
• New Criminal Rule 62
• Evidence Rules 106, 615, and 702

The proposals include rules for declared emergencies as directed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (Mar. 27, 2020). The emergency rules are reflected in the proposed amendments to Appellate Rules 2 and 4, and proposed new Bankruptcy Rule 9038, Civil Rule 87, and Criminal Rule 62.

The proposals and supporting materials are posted on the Judiciary’s website at: http://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/proposed-amendments-published-public-comment.

The public comment period opens on August 6, 2021 and closes on February 16, 2022.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Rules Committee Staff at (202) 502-1820 or via email at RulesCommittee_Secretary@ao.uscourts.gov .

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be upgrading its CM/ECF software to the Next Generation (NextGen) of CM/ECF in the upcoming months. We anticipate going live with NextGen on November 1^st, 2021. NextGen is the culmination of a multi-year project headed by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to provide for the current and future filing and case management needs of all CM/ECF users.

In the upcoming months the court will be e-mailing all registered attorneys information on NextGen and what they must do to prepare for the upgrade. We wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you in advance so you would know what is changing with NextGen and what will be required of all registered attorneys.

What is new for attorneys in NextGen?
Central Sign-On is new functionality that will allow attorneys to maintain one account across all NextGen courts (appellate, bankruptcy, and district). What this means is that attorneys will be able to use one login and password to access all NextGen courts where they have permission to file and PACER for all courts.

What must an attorney do to prepare for NextGen?

• Each attorney MUST have his/her own individual PACER account. If an attorney does not have an individual PACER account, the attorney must create one before the Court upgrades to NextGen. Shared PACER accounts cannot be used by filing attorneys once the court has upgraded. Firms may set up a PACER Administrative Account to help manage attorney accounts and have those individual accounts centrally billed for PACER access fees. To register for a PACER Administrative Account, please visit https://www.pacer.gov/nextgen.
• Existing “Legacy” PACER accounts (accounts issued prior to August 11, 2014) must be upgraded. Go to www.pacer.gov, Manage My Account, and login with the attorney’s current PACER credentials. Note the display in Account Type. If “Legacy,” select Upgrade, and update the information.
• Each attorney MUST know his/her current CM/ECF login/password for filing documents before the court upgrades to NextGen. If the login information is stored in the browser, it WILL be lost and not recoverable. Once the court upgrades to NextGen, attorneys must link their existing ECF accounts to their upgraded PACER accounts for Central Sign On.

Attorneys will NOT be able to file in NextGen until their ECF account is linked to their upgraded individual PACER account. This linkage, however, cannot be done until AFTER the court upgrades to NextGen.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the improvements and the upgrade process, please visit: https://www.pacer.gov/nextgen.
Questions may be e-mailed to our helpdesk at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov. Also, feel free to contact the Clerk’s Office directly with any questions: 405-609-5700
Thank you in advance for your cooperation as the court prepares to upgrade to NextGen ECF.

Service of Motions to Avoid Lien must be accomplished by certified mail on FDIC institutions under FRBP 7004(h):

Rule 7004. Process; Service of Summons, Complaint
(h) Service of Process on an Insured Depository Institution. Service on an insured depository institution (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act) in a contested matter or adversary proceeding shall be made by certified mail addressed to an officer of the institution unless—
   (1) the institution has appeared by its attorney, in which case the attorney shall be served by first class mail;
   (2) the court orders otherwise after service upon the institution by certified mail of notice of an application to permit service on the institution by first class mail sent to an officer of the institution designated by the institution; or
   (3) the institution has waived in writing its entitlement to service by certified mail by designating an officer to receive service.

To assist our filers, we created an event in CM/ECF for filing a return of service on a motion to avoid lien in the primary bankruptcy case.

The event is titled “Return of Service (Other)” and it is located under Menu: Bankruptcy/Adversary> Other> Return of Service (Other)

If you have any questions, please contact us at trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

The Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will be closed on Friday, June 18, 2021, in observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing June 19th as a federal holiday. As the 19th falls on a Saturday, the Court will observe the holiday tomorrow, June 18. The CM/ECF filing system will be available.

On December 21, 2020, the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) promulgated a final rule, “Procedures for Completing Uniform Periodic Reports in Non-Small Business Cases Filed Under Chapter 11 of Title 11” (hereinafter referred to as the “Final Rule”).¹ The Final Rule, which is authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 589b, requires that chapter 11 debtors in possession and trustees — other than small business debtors² — file monthly operating reports (MORs) and post-confirmation reports (PCRs) using streamlined, data-embedded, uniform forms in every case in every judicial district where the USTP operates.

The Final Rule will become effective for all reports filed on or after June 21, 2021. Before the effective date, the USTP encourages bankruptcy professionals to engage with their local USTP offices to learn more about the Final Rule and forms and to be ready to file data embedded MORs and PCRs after June 21, 2021. Local USTP offices will make training available for bankruptcy professionals about completing, filing, and serving the new uniform MOR and PCR forms.

The uniform forms, and instructions for their use and filing, which may be periodically updated prior to the effective date, are available on the USTP’s website: https://www.justice.gov/ust/chapter-11-operating-reports.

In addition to familiarizing themselves with the forms, practitioners should understand potential changes to applicable filing and service requirements. Unless otherwise provided by local rule, each report must be filed with the bankruptcy court no later than the 21st day of the month immediately following the covered reporting period.

Debtors in possession (DIP) should confer with local USTP representatives early in the case, whether at the initial debtor interview or some other initial meeting, to discuss the DIP’s reporting capabilities and the supplemental documentation that the DIP may be required to file in conjunction with the reports.

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¹ 28 C.F.R. § 58.8.

² Small business and subchapter V debtors (including those covered by the temporarily expanded debt limits) file MORs on official forms promulgated by the Judicial Conference of the United States. See 11 U.S.C. §§ 308, 1187; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2015 (a)(6); Official Bankruptcy Form 425C. Contact the U.S. Trustee in the district in which the case is pending for further instructions regarding post-confirmation reporting requirements in small business and subchapter V cases.

Effective June 1, 2021, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma will no longer accept cash as payment for any fees.  Filers may pay by one of the following approved methods:

1. Money Order
2. Cashier’s Check
3. Debit Cards (via Pay.gov)
4. Automated Clearing House ACH/Bank draft (via Pay.gov)
5. PayPal Deposited funds (via Pay.gov)

Pro se debtors can pay filing fees by cashier’s check or money order.  Attorneys must settle charges through CM/ECF and Pay.gov by using debit cards, credit cards, or ACH as payment.

Checks and money orders are to be made payable to: Clerk, United States Bankruptcy Court.  If you have reviewed the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule and are uncertain about the total dollar amount for a money order or cashier’s check, please contact us at 405-609-5700 to confirm the total fee amount.

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 contact us at (405) 609-5700.

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 the Federal Register at: (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2003/02/04/03-2521/privacy-act-of-1974-as-amended-system-of-records), or by calling 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.

*Please note – Checks or ACH payments that are returned for nonpayment will incur a $53.00 returned item fee made payable by certified funds to: Clerk, United States Bankruptcy Court .

Motion for Discharge Pursuant to Section 1328(i)
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act created a new subsection (i) of Section 1328 of the Bankruptcy Code. This subsection permits a court to grant a chapter 13 debtor a regular discharge after considering certain factors outlined in Section 1328(i). This subsection is temporary and will end on December 27, 2021.
  
To file a motion requesting a discharge under 1328(i), use the CM/ECF event: Bankruptcy > Motions/Applications > Discharge Pursuant to Section 1328(i)

Supplemental Proof of Claim for CARES Forbearance Claim
The Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules has approved a new Director’s Form 4100S, Supplemental Proof of Claim for CARES Forbearance Claim. This new form is temporary and is effective through December 27, 2021.
  
To file this supplemental proof of claim, use the CM/ECF event:
Bankruptcy > Claims Actions > Supplemental Proof of Claim for CARES Forbearance Claim

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Effective February 22, 2021, we reopened the Clerk’s Office intake counter.  Hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  If attorneys have documents to submit to the Bankruptcy Court, they should use CM/ECF.  If non-attorneys have documents to submit, they can (i) turn them in at the front counter, (ii) mail them, (iii) place them in our drop box located immediately outside the Clerk’s Office, or (iv) use our Electronic Document Submission System.  Our mailing address is

            U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
            215 Dean A. McGee, Suite 147
            Oklahoma City, OK  73102

Information about using our Electronic Document Submission System is located here.  If you have any questions, please contact us at 405-609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

Beginning on February 15, 2021, the clerk’s office is providing a way for filers not represented by attorneys to submit documents to the court electronically.  Details about the new Electronic Document Submission System (“EDSS”) are found here.  These filers can now deliver documents to the court by mail, at our drop box outside the clerk’s office, or electronically via EDSS.  If you have any questions, please contact trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

With the pandemic, we have had to adapt and adjust.  One change is how the Court conducts some hearings via Microsoft Teams (Teams).  We are sharing some Teams Resources here that may help participants enjoy a smooth hearing experience on Teams.  The Resources range from basic to advanced topics in using Teams, and we found the following videos to be especially helpful when preparing for hearings held on Teams: 

• Join a Teams meeting
• Show your screen during a meeting
• Navigating around during a Teams meeting
• Tips for Teams meetings

These Teams links will also be available on our website under Court Information, For Attorneys, and Covid-19 Response tabs.

If you have any questions, please contact the clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700 or trainers@okwb.uscourts.gov.

A new option is available for the payment of certain fees, including filing fee installments, searches, certified copies, exemplifications, recordings of hearings, and other fees. Instructions and a link to the Online Payment Form for this payment option may be viewed here.

By using the Online Payment Form, fees may be paid by debit card, bank account (ACH), or PayPal. If the ACH option is used, please pay close attention to your account information. If we receive a returned item, you will be charged a $53.00 returned item fee. Credit cards are not permitted under this new payment option.

The Online Payment Form cannot be used by CM/ECF filers for payments generated in CM/ECF. If you incur a fee through CM/ECF and try to make a payment through the Online Payment Form, your account will be locked out by the CM/ECF system and prevent you from filing anything. It is very important that you continue to pay your filing fees through CM/ECF as you have been and only use the Online Payment Form for fees that, until now, have been paid by mail, drop box, or at the intake counter.

If you have any questions about the Online Payment Form, please contact the clerk’s office at (405) 609-5700, and we will be happy to assist you.

Notice of Bankruptcy Judge Vacancy Eastern District of Oklahoma.  Both the notice and application for the upcoming bankruptcy judge vacancy in the Eastern District of Oklahoma are available at https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/hr/jobs/bankruptcy-judge-eastern-district-oklahoma.   The closing date for applications is April 19, 2021.

Chief Judge Janice D. Loyd and Judge Sarah A. Hall of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma asked the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) to survey members of the Bar to assess their performance. The judges’ decision to ask the FJC to conduct the surveys is entirely voluntary and is part of their ongoing commitment to provide the highest level of public service possible. The FJC, which is the research and education organization for the federal courts, is located in Washington, D.C.

During the week of January 25, the FJC will send an email to the attorneys who has practiced before each judge during the past three years. The email will explain how to access and complete an online questionnaire.

The questionnaire contains both closed-ended questions (e.g., rating scales) and open-ended questions. Research staff at the FJC will compile and analyze together the responses from all lawyers and will provide each judge a report, including the comments that are received in response to the open-ended questions and statistical tables aggregating the results for the closed-ended questions. FJC staff will not provide anyone (including the judge) with the identity of the people who responded, if FJC staff become aware of that information. The results are exclusively for each judge’s use in improving her performance; the FJC will not provide the results to anyone other than the judge and the results will not be used in the reappointment process.

If you do not receive an email from the FJC and want to participate, please contact Beth Wiggins of the FJC by phone at 202-215-2861 or by email at bwiggins@fjc.gov.

If you have questions about the survey or encounter any technical difficulties, please also contact Beth Wiggins. If you would prefer to complete a paper version of the questionnaire, she can provide you with a copy and instructions for returning it to the FJC.

The Clerk’s Office has been made aware of CM/ECF users receiving emails from OKWB addresses containing password-protected zip files. These emails are not originating from the Court’s system. Please do not open any attachments, especially those password-protected, unless you are expecting them.