The Federal Courts website provides information about bankruptcy, including a forms section.
The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure are available on Cornell's Legal Information Institute site.
The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) addresses frequently asked questions for investors regarding corporate bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy laws help people who can no longer pay their creditors get a fresh start by creating a repayment plan or by liquidating assets to pay their debts. Bankruptcy laws also protect troubled businesses and provide for orderly distributions to business creditors through reorganization or liquidation.
Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. This means that a bankruptcy case cannot be filed in a state court. Most cases are filed under these three chapters of the Bankruptcy Code:
Chapter 7 -- Liquidation
Chapter 11 -- Reorganization
Chapter 13 -- Individual Debt Adjustment
Bankruptcy Revision Title 11 U.S.C. Pub. L. 95-598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2549
Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 Pub. L. 98-353, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 333
Bankruptcy Judges, United States Trustees, and Family Farmer Bankruptcy Act of 1986 Pub. L. 99-554, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3088
Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 Pub. L. 103-394, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4106
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act Pub. L. 109-8, April 20, 2005, 119 Stat. 23
Note: The Bankruptcy Code applies to cases filed after October 1, 1979.