New "debtor questionaire" form being used by trustees in Chapter 13 341 hearings

Recently, I attended a Section 341 meeting of creditors hearing in Gainesville and the trustee asked the debtor and me to review and sign a 17 question checklist prior to the call of the hearing.  The questions on the checklist verify that the debtor has received all necessary disclosures and understands the process.  You can review the 341 hearing checklist here.

Ultimately this type of checklist should save time, and, in my view, it represents the reality that this new bankruptcy law has added additional administrative burdens on all parties – the debtors, the trustees and the Courts – that add little value and contribute little to the goal of preventing abusive filings.