List of Creditors Must be Filed with Petition

A voluntary bankruptcy petition must be accompanied by a list containing the name and address of each entity included or to be included on Schedules D, E/F, G, and H. This list is sometimes also referred to as the creditor matrix and must follow certain formatting guidelines. The Clerk's Office needs this list to give notice of the bankruptcy case to creditors and to advise them that the automatic stay prohibits certain actions against debtors. If you do not know all the names and addresses of all your creditors at the time the petition is filed, you may file an amended creditor list later, but you must pay a $34 filing fee, and you will be responsible for mailing the bankruptcy notices to the additional creditors.

Creating the Creditor List

Follow these steps to create your creditor list:

• Collect all of your creditors’ names and complete mailing addresses. 
• Using a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word, NotePad, etc.), enter their names and addresses in a single column, left-justified.
• Each name and address block may not exceed 5 lines total.
• Each line must not exceed 40 characters, including spaces.
• Do not include account numbers.
• Separate each name and address block with at least one blank line.
• If the following entities require notice, use the addresses below:

Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 7346
Philadelphia, PA 19101-7346

Department of Taxation
State of Hawaii
Attn: Bankruptcy Unit
P.O. Box 259
Honolulu, HI 96809-0259

Click here for a sample creditor list.

Electronic Format

Debtors filing a paper copy of a voluntary petition must also submit a paper copy of the creditor list. Debtors who are represented by counsel and filing the petition electronically do not need to submit a paper copy.

In addition, all debtors are required to provide the list of creditors in a digital or electronic format. Even if you are not represented by an attorney, you are responsible for creating an electronic version of the list as a computer file with a “.txt” extension, and submitting it on a USB drive or other media. As an alternative, a creditor list may be submitted by email. See below for details. 

Submitting the Creditor List by Email

Debtors can send the list of creditors to the court by email, eliminating the need to submit it on a USB drive or other media with the petition. Follow these steps to email the creditor list:

• Create your creditor list using the guidelines above.
• Send an email to matrix@hib.uscourts.gov with the following information:
  • In the Subject Line, include your first and last name and phone number. For example: John Smith 808-123-4567.
  • Attach the file that includes the list of creditors OR copy the list of creditors from the word processing program and paste it directly into the email.
• Print a paper copy of the creditor list and attach it to your bankruptcy petition.
• When you submit your bankruptcy petition to the court, notify the clerk that you submitted your creditor list by email. 

Verification of the List of Creditors

The creditor list must be accompanied by the debtor's verification that all entries on bankruptcy schedules D, E/F, G, and H have been listed in the creditor list, using local form Verification of List of Creditors.