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Special Notice: New Bankruptcy Forms (April 2010)

Here is an excerpt from Public Notice 10-004:

“The Judicial Conference approved amendments to the dollar amounts stated in the following Official Bankruptcy forms that become effective April 1, 2010. The adjustments reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers published by the United States Department of Labor for the three-year period ending December 1, 2009, and rounded to the nearest $25.00. Use of this formula to adjust specified dollar amounts in the Bankruptcy Code is prescribed by 11 U.S.C. § 104(a). The following amended Official Bankruptcy forms must be used on or after April 1, 2010.The amended dollar amounts will affect the eligibility of a debtor to file under chapters 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, certain maximum values of property that a debtor may claim as exempt, the maximum amount of certain claims entitled to priority, the calculation of the “means test” for chapter 7 debtors, the duration of a chapter 13 plan, the definition of a small business debtor, the minimum aggregate value of claims needed to commence an involuntary bankruptcy, the value of “luxury goods and services” deemed to be non-dischargeable, and the circumstances under which the trustee may commence certain proceedings to recover a money judgment or property. CM/ECF filers may need to update their petition preparation software and/or templates in order to file petitions, schedules, or other amended documents. The revised forms are available on the Court’s web site www.cacb.uscourts.gov, under Petition Forms and Court Forms. The forms will be made available in printed format at the Intake Sections of each division for a fee. Additional information regarding these forms can be found on the Judiciary’s web site at www.uscourts.gov/bankform/index.html