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Closed Case Information

PHYSICAL RECORDS

Physical (i.e., paper) cases, proceedings and documents filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky are retained for a period after they are closed, and are then shipped for storage to the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) for the Southeast Region in Atlanta, Georgia.  With the exception of Chapter 12 filings and certain Adversary Proceedings, cases that have been closed for more than 15 years have been destroyed by NARA or slated for destruction according to the federal records disposition schedules. As a result, copies would no longer be available from the NARA or the Court as the original documents no longer exist.

For the limited number of physical cases still available, NARA provides copies of documents directly to those making a request; ordering directly from the NARA is generally the quickest and least expensive way in which to acquire copies of documents in closed cases. Review the National Archives at Atlanta site for detailed information on how to submit copy requests directly to the NARA. NOTE: Ordering copies from the NARA requires basic information concerning the case, including the case number, transfer number, location number and box number. To obtain this information, click here

For cases and documents sent to NARA, you may also order retrieval and copies from the Court; fees apply and costs to do so are generally significantly higher than ordering directly from NARA.

 

ELECTRONIC RECORDS

For cases filed on or after August 15, 2002, copies are not available through the NARA. If you are a PACER user, you may access copies of documents directly through PACER if the case was filed on or after 12/1/2003; alternatively, copies of these documents may also be ordered from the Clerk's Office.  Documents in electronic cases filed prior to 12/1/2003 are restricted pursuant to federal rules regarding access to personal identifier and must be ordered from the Court directly; they will be provided in paper format upon receipt of the fee. Please contact the Court at 502-627-5700 to obtain copies of these cases/documents.