Clarke County Bankruptcy Filings

Clarke County bankruptcy records go through the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. Athens is the county seat and the largest city in Clarke County. The Middle District actually has a hearing office in Athens at the U.S. Courthouse on East Hancock Avenue, though it is not always staffed. For full-service access to Clarke County bankruptcy records, the Macon office is the primary location. This page covers every method for finding bankruptcy case files, what fees apply, and the legal details that affect filers in Clarke County. Whether you are checking on your own case or looking up someone else's filing, the steps are the same.

Clarke County Federal Court Access

The Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court handles all Clarke County bankruptcy filings. The district has 69 counties under its jurisdiction. Chief Judge Austin E. Carter leads the court, and Kyle George is the clerk.

Clarke County has a local hearing office at the U.S. Courthouse, 115 East Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601. Hearings are held here when scheduled, but the office is not staffed on a daily basis. All new case filings for Clarke County should be mailed to the Macon office at the Thomas Jefferson Federal Building, 433 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201. Phone for Macon is 478-752-3506. The Columbus office at 901 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31902 is also fully staffed. Call 706-649-7837 for Columbus.

Note: The Athens hearing office is only open when court sessions are scheduled there.

Online Search for Clarke County Cases

The primary way to search Clarke County bankruptcy records online is PACER. Create a free account, then search by name or case number. Every filing in a Clarke County case shows up here: the petition, all schedules, motions, court orders, and the final outcome. Documents cost $0.10 per page to view or download. PACER runs 24 hours a day, so you can search at any time from any location.

Use the PACER Case Locator if you are not sure which court handled a particular case. This tool searches every federal court in the country. Type in a name and see all matching bankruptcy cases. You can save your searches and come back to them later. This is especially useful in a college town like Athens, where people move in and out often and may have filed in other jurisdictions before settling in Clarke County.

Phone Search for Clarke County Bankruptcy Cases

McVCIS is a free automated phone system at 1-866-222-8029. It works around the clock. Select the Middle District of Georgia, then search by debtor name or case number. The system reads back case details including the filing date, chapter, judge, attorney, trustee, and current status. No documents come through the phone, but you get enough to confirm whether a Clarke County bankruptcy case exists.

This service is useful when you need a quick answer and do not want to log into PACER. It costs nothing to use.

Fees for Clarke County Bankruptcy Records

PACER charges $0.10 per page for online access to Clarke County bankruptcy records. At the clerk office, you can view records for free on the public terminals. Printing from those terminals is $0.10 per page. In-person or mail copy requests cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $12.00 extra per document.

If you need the court to search for a case and you lack a case number, submit Form B1320 with $34.00. Make your check or money order payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Cash works at the counter. Personal checks are typically only for pro se filers.

Clarke County Bankruptcy Types and Chapters

Bankruptcy filings in Clarke County follow the Bankruptcy Code, Title 11 of the U.S. Code. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the most common for individuals. Chapter 7 is liquidation. Non-exempt assets get sold by a trustee, and qualifying debts get discharged. Most individual filers in Clarke County have few non-exempt assets, making their cases "no asset" filings that resolve in a few months.

Chapter 13 allows the debtor to keep property while repaying debts over three to five years. A trustee collects monthly payments and distributes them. This chapter is common when a Clarke County resident wants to keep a home or catch up on a car loan. The debtor needs regular income to qualify. Chapter 11 covers business reorganizations and is used by some Athens-area businesses. Chapter 12 applies to family farmers and fishermen.

Refiling limits exist. You cannot get another Chapter 7 discharge within eight years of a prior one. A Chapter 13 can follow a Chapter 7 after four years. Chapter 13 to Chapter 13 requires a two-year gap. These rules are the same for all Clarke County filers.

Georgia Exemptions for Clarke County

Georgia opted out of federal exemptions. Clarke County filers use the state list under O.C.G.A. 44-13-100. Key protections:

• Homestead: $21,500 (up to $43,000 for married couples in some cases)
• Motor vehicle: $5,000
• Work tools: $1,500
• Jewelry: $500
• Personal items: $5,000 total, $300 per item cap
• Wildcard: $1,200 plus up to $10,000 of unused homestead

Social Security, veterans benefits, workers' compensation (O.C.G.A. 34-9-84), unemployment, alimony, child support, and retirement accounts are all fully exempt. The 730-day residency rule applies. If you moved to Clarke County recently from out of state, you may need to use your prior state's exemptions.

Archived Clarke County Cases

Very old Clarke County bankruptcy cases may have moved to the National Archives and Records Administration. Once archived, they leave PACER. Contact the Middle District clerk at 478-752-3506 for the accession and location numbers needed to order from NARA. The process takes more time than a typical PACER search, so plan for it if you need records from a case closed years ago.

Related Clarke County Records

State records for Clarke County are at the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. These include civil cases, criminal records, property deeds, and lien filings. The GSCCCA offers statewide search for deeds and liens. Cross-referencing these with federal bankruptcy records from Clarke County can help when property or secured debts are at issue.

The Middle District court information page has filing rules, local procedures, and office details for all locations in the district. For city-specific details, see the Athens bankruptcy records page.

Nearby Counties

Clarke County is in northeast Georgia. Some neighbors are in the Middle District, while others are in the Northern District. Verify the district before searching for a case.