The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and following all recommended guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health.The Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland have issued orders limiting operations, suspending various proceedings, and extending certain deadlines.
Courthouse Operations / Emergency Matters
The Clerk’s office public intake counters are open, by appointment only, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays) from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Click here to make an appointment. The Clerk’s Office also remains open to the public through telephone access and the drop boxes located in the lobby of each courthouse. Drop box hours are 9:00 a.m. until midnight in Baltimore and 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. in Greenbelt. CM/ECF will continue to be available for electronic filings. Any emergency matters, including first day motions as necessary, should be filed consistent with past practice and brought to the attention of the courtroom deputy for the presiding judge or the clerk of court.
Deadlines
As of August 28, 2020, all of the previously extended “filing deadlines” between March 16, 2020 and June 5, 2020 had expired. The Court’s Current Operational Status summarizes these prior filing deadline extensions as well as the return to regular “filing deadlines” and the orders below contain additional relevant information:
Additional Operational Information / Orders
For more complete information on the Court’s operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, please refer to the following links:
- Virtual Hearings Access Information and Resources
- USDC Phase Three Recovery Order
- USDC Phase Three Recovery Plan Attachment
- Current Operational Status of Bankruptcy Court (as of October 1, 2020)
- Information for Parties Without an Attorney
- Electronic Document Submission System Pilot Program
- Information About Scheduling Intake Appointments
- Administrative Orders / Standing Orders
- Notices Regarding 341 Meetings of Creditors
Court Locations
Bankruptcy Court Public Intake Counters – Open by Appointment
The Clerk’s Office intake counters for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland are open, by appointment only, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays) from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Click here to make an appointment.
Filing Fee Increase – Effective December 1, 2020
The Judicial Conference approved adjustments to the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (28 U.S.C. § 1930) effective December 1, 2020. Filing fees for the most common petitions will be: Chapter 7, $338; Chapter 11, $1,738; Chapter 13, $313. For details on all the bankruptcy fee changes click here.
Notice of Vacancy, Case Administrator II, The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
Please click here to view the Notice of Vacancy from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.
Redesigned PACER Website
The Federal Judiciary has launched a redesigned PACER Website, available at https://pacer.uscourts.gov. Click here for the News Release.
Fourth Circuit Selects Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland is pleased to announce that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has selected Maria Ellena Chavez-Ruark, of Marriottsville, Maryland, to fill the vacancy for United States Bankruptcy Judge in the District of Maryland. The vacancy was created by the untimely passing of Judge Wendelin I. Lipp.