Would it be possible for our court to obtain a copy of a pro se manual currently being distributed in your court. We are interested in preparing this type of manual for our pro se debtors.

-- Sandra L. Clark (Sandy_Clark@wiwd.uscourts.gov), October 05, 1999

Answers

We have a manual that we created about 5 years ago that is located on our web site - www.nhb.uscourts.gov (Bankruptcy Court, New Hampshire). The area that seems to be the most helpful to debtors is the "frequently asked questions" pages. Also on our site is an informational sheet we worked up with our US Trustee's office which informs debtors they should keep any document related to their bankruptcy case for 7-10 years, especially the discharge as they will need it when applying for a car loan or mortgage. The US Trustee also has this information available in their 341 meeting room. Since we started using this a year ago, the number of calls/search requests we get for discharges has dropped by about 15%.

-- Kerri Mikolaities (kerri_mikolaities@nhb.uscourts.gov), October 06, 1999.

Our court has developed a trifold brochure "Guidelines & Requirements to Assist Pro Se Debtors". It gives a brief overview of the various bankruptcy chapters, fee information, office hours, courtroom decorum, resources for legal advice, and information about petition preparation. While our brochure is for bankruptcy proceedings, I will be more than happy to send you a copy if interested.

-- Tawana Marshall (Tawana_Marshall@txnb.uscourts.gov), October 12, 1999.