Montana Bankruptcy Courts (MT)

Meeting the trustee in Montana Bankruptcy Court proceedings

The first appearance Montana Bankruptcy Courts in Chapter 13 and 7 cases will be the meeting of the creditors. This meeting is conducted by the trustee assigned to investigate the debtor and report their findings to the presiding judge. Although sometimes captious, trustees nevertheless perform several other important functions. The trustee ensures the demeanor of meeting remains courteous and professional, and protects debtors from unscrupulous creditors. Additionally, the trustee is required by law to advise debtors of certain important rights, duties and obligations during the course of case administration. Although the meeting is somewhat informal compared to a court hearing, testimony is taken under oath and is admissible in court as evidence for or against interested parties.

Help from the Montana Bankruptcy Court:

The Montana Bankruptcy Court Divisions: Billings, Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula.

Trustees may appear affable yet are all prepared to waylay unsuspecting debtors who transgress the letter of the law. Confrontations are rarely heated, but rather are summarized and presented to the presiding judge along with the trustees recommendation. In one sense, debtors are beholden to trustees for a positive recommendation, yet all debtors should remain aware of the potential for sanctions if conduct, intentional or accidental, crosses the boundaries of the law.