El Paso Bankruptcy Records
El Paso bankruptcy records are filed with the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, El Paso Division, located at 511 E. San Antonio Ave. in downtown El Paso. Cases for El Paso County run through this federal court, and you can search El Paso bankruptcy filings online through PACER, call the clerk's office directly, or visit in person. This guide explains how to find El Paso bankruptcy records, what the local court process looks like, and where to get help if you need to file.
El Paso Overview
El Paso Federal Bankruptcy Court
El Paso is served by the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, El Paso Division. This court handles all bankruptcy cases filed by individuals and businesses in El Paso County. The division office sits right in downtown El Paso and serves one of the largest cities on the U.S.-Mexico border. Judge H. Christopher Mott sits in El Paso on a scheduled basis for hearings and trials.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas |
|---|---|
| Division | El Paso Division |
| Address | 511 E. San Antonio Ave. El Paso, TX 79901 |
| Phone | (915) 779-7362 |
| Website | txwb.uscourts.gov |
The Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court is headquartered in San Antonio, and the El Paso Division is one of several division offices across this large district. The district spans a wide geographic area and the El Paso office serves far West Texas. The U.S. Trustee Program for El Paso runs through the San Antonio field office, which oversees Chapter 7 trustees and monitors repayment plans under Chapter 13.
The clerk's office in El Paso accepts in-person filings during normal business hours. If you plan to visit, call (915) 779-7362 first to confirm hours. Pro se filers who do not have an attorney can submit documents at the counter. Attorneys file through the court's electronic case management system.
How to Find El Paso Bankruptcy Records
The main tool for searching El Paso bankruptcy records is PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). PACER is a federal system that lets you look up case filings, dockets, and documents from any federal bankruptcy court, including the Western District of Texas. You can register for a PACER account at no charge. The service costs $0.10 per page, but accounts that stay under $30 per quarter owe nothing.
To search, log into PACER and use the Western District of Texas court. You can search by party name, case number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Once you find a case, you can view the full docket, see what documents have been filed, check the creditor list, and confirm whether a discharge was entered. The PACER Case Locator is a useful tool if you are not sure which district holds the case you want.
You can also call the clerk's office at (915) 779-7362 for basic case information. If a voice case information line is available, follow the prompts to get case status, chapter type, filing date, and scheduled hearings without logging into PACER. This is a quick option when you only need a basic status check.
In-person access is available at 511 E. San Antonio Ave. The El Paso office has public terminals where you can look up case records. Staff can help you find a case and make copies for a per-page fee. Bring the debtor's name or case number if you have it, since that speeds up the search.
The City of El Paso official website is a good starting point for municipal records such as property tax data and city court filings that may come up in a bankruptcy case involving local real estate or business debt.
The City of El Paso official website provides access to municipal records, property data, and city services that can be relevant when researching an El Paso bankruptcy case.
City of El Paso records, including property and tax information, frequently come up in bankruptcy proceedings involving local real estate or business debts.
Filing Bankruptcy in El Paso
El Paso residents and businesses file bankruptcy under federal law in the Western District of Texas. The most common types are Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11. Chapter 7 is a liquidation case where a trustee reviews your assets, sells non-exempt property, and remaining eligible debts get discharged. Chapter 13 lets you keep your assets while repaying debts under a three-to-five-year plan approved by the court. Chapter 11 is mainly used by businesses reorganizing their debt load while staying open.
You start by filing a voluntary petition along with detailed schedules of your assets, liabilities, income, and monthly expenses. Under 11 U.S.C. § 521, debtors must submit a full set of schedules and statements. Before you file, you must finish a credit counseling course from a court-approved provider within the 180 days before your petition date. Then, after filing, a debtor education course is required before a discharge can be entered.
Filing fees for El Paso cases match the standard federal schedule: Chapter 7 costs $338, Chapter 13 costs $313, and Chapter 11 costs $1,738. If the fee is a hardship, you can ask the court to waive it or let you pay in installments. The court takes cashier's checks and money orders made out to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash may be accepted at the El Paso office with exact change.
The Western District court website has local rules, standard forms, and filing instructions. Local rules add requirements beyond the federal rules and apply to all cases in the Western District. Both attorneys and pro se filers must follow them. Read the local rules before you file so you are not caught off guard by a local requirement.
El Paso Bankruptcy Resources
Several resources are available to El Paso residents dealing with bankruptcy. The El Paso County Bar Association can help connect you with a local bankruptcy attorney. You can also check the State Bar of Texas's lawyer referral service at texasbar.com to find attorneys licensed in Texas who handle bankruptcy cases in the El Paso area.
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid serves the El Paso area and provides free civil legal help to qualifying low-income individuals. They may be able to assist with bankruptcy-related questions or refer you to someone who can. Call their offices or visit their site to see if you qualify for assistance.
The El Paso County Clerk maintains property and deed records for the county. These records often come up in bankruptcy cases that involve real estate. The clerk can confirm property ownership, lien status, and other recorded documents tied to properties in El Paso County.
Under 11 U.S.C. § 107, bankruptcy case files are public record. Anyone can pull them through PACER or at the courthouse. Some personal data, like full Social Security numbers and minors' names, is protected, but the rest of the case file is open to the public.
Note: El Paso bankruptcy cases are federal matters handled by the Western District court. El Paso County state courts do not process bankruptcy filings.
The El Paso County Clerk maintains property records and official public records for El Paso and the surrounding county, which are often relevant in bankruptcy proceedings involving local real estate.
Property deed searches and lien lookups through the El Paso County Clerk can help identify real estate assets or encumbrances listed in an El Paso bankruptcy case.
El Paso Is in El Paso County
El Paso is the county seat of El Paso County. All bankruptcy filings for El Paso go through the federal court, but county-level records for property, deeds, and local court cases are kept by El Paso County. The El Paso County page has more detail on the local court structure and records available at the county level.
Nearby Cities
Other Texas cities also served by federal bankruptcy courts:
- San Antonio - Western District, San Antonio Division
- Lubbock - Northern District, Lubbock Division
- Amarillo - Northern District, Amarillo Division
- Austin - Western District, Austin Division