Motion to Close Chapter 11 Case

Official Procedure Last Change December 10, 2021

Motion to Close Chapter 11 Case

How to file: 

Location of event:   Bankruptcy > Motions, Applications & Briefs > Close Chapter 11 Case, Motion to

Things to be aware of when filing: This event is only for use with individual Chapter 11 cases.

General Information

  • A Motion to Close Chapter 11 Case can be filed by an individual Chapter 11 debtor in order to avoid US Trustee fees and reporting requirements while the payments called for by the plan are being made.
  • A motion to close does not apply to cases filed under Subchapter V, and should not be filed in such cases. (No payments are due to the United States Trustee for quarterly fees in Subchapter V cases pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(6).)
  • Once payments have been made, a Motion to Reopen and then an Application for Final Decree should be filed in order to receive the discharge in the case.
  • A Motion to Close may be allowed in non-individual cases where everything has been resolved except for some pending litigation. The Motion to Close event does not allow filing on a non-individual case however, so the Motion for Authority event should be used in these very limited circumstances.

Filing requirements

  • The Motion must be signed by the filing party or their attorney.
  • A Certificate of Service must be included.
  • It is not necessary to upload a proposed order - the Court will prepare one.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Log into CM/ECF.

2. Select Bankruptcy > Motions, Applications & Briefs.

3. Enter case number (in the format xx-xxxxx) and click Next.

4. Select Close Chapter 11 Case, Motion to  from the event list and click Next.

5. Select appropriate radio button to indicate whether or not the Motion you are filing is amended.

6. Check box if jointly filing with another attorney. Click Next.

7. If you indicated that you are filing jointly with other attorney(s), select additional attorney(s) and click Next.

Note: You cannot add attorneys. Only attorneys who have previously entered an appearance will be available for selection.

8. Select the party filer. If the party is not listed, or cannot be selected, view instructions on adding a new party. Click Next.

Note: The "Attorney/Party Association” screen may appear. If your party selection was correct, check the box to create an association and click Next.

9. Browse to attach the document to be filed (pdf file). Click Next.

10. Objection deadline is calculated and displayed. Click Next.

11. If you indicated in step 5 that you are filing an amended motion, all pending motions on the docket are displayed. Select the motion that is being amended and click Next.

12. Select prefix text, if applicable, and click Next.

Note: The prefix text option is not available if you indicated in Step 5 that the Motion you are filing is amended.

13. Verify final docket text. If correct, click Next to submit.

Note: The Notice of Electronic Filing displays giving you the document number. Copies of this notice are immediately e-mailed to all participants who receive electronic notification in the case.