Avoid Dismissal of a Bankruptcy Case - In order for a bankruptcy case to proceed, it is a debtor's responsibility to provide the court with all information that is required by the law. If this information is not provided, a bankruptcy case may be dismissed without a debtor obtaining a discharge of debts.

At the beginning of a bankruptcy case, if all of the required information is not filed with the court, the Clerk's Office will usually mail to the debtor a notice that identifies which documents or signatures are missing. The bankruptcy case will be dismissed without a hearing if this information is not provided within 14 days after a bankruptcy case is filed, unless permission is obtained from a judge to extend this deadline. Some items are due no later than 45 days after the bankruptcy case is filed, and after the 45-day period the court may dismiss a bankruptcy case without a hearing. In some cases, the court will prohibit a debtor from filing another bankruptcy case for 180 days or more.