What Does the Kentucky Bankruptcy Trustee Do
The Role of a Kentucky Bankruptcy Trustee
The Kentucky bankruptcy court system is divided into the Eastern and Western Districts. The Kentucky bankruptcy trustee is assigned automatically upon filing for bankruptcy, and the primary role of the Kentucky bankruptcy trustee is to oversee the administration of your case, whether it’s a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filing.
Bankruptcy trustees don’t represent you, but rather the “bankruptcy estate,” which is comprised of all your assets. Their main goals are to safeguard these assets, review your financial disclosures, and, if necessary, liquidate them to pay your creditors if your assets are non-exempt, meaning not protected.
The trustee’s job is to differentiate between exempt and non-exempt assets (which can be sold). In a Chapter 7 case, the trustee can liquidate non-exempt property to distribute the proceeds among your creditors. In a Chapter 13 case, the trustee collects your repayment plan payments and distributes them to your creditors.
The 341 Meeting of Creditors
The 341 Meeting is a key part of the trustee’s job. The trustee conducts the 341 Meeting of Creditors, which typically occurs a few weeks after you file. Here, you meet with the trustee and answer questions under oath about your financial situation. Creditors may attend, but they rarely do.
Trustees are also empowered to investigate any potential fraud or improper financial transactions, such as payments made to a family member shortly before filing. If they suspect foul play, they can take legal action to recover assets and protect the integrity of the bankruptcy estate.
It’s important to distinguish the bankruptcy trustee, a private individual administering your case, from the Office of the U.S. Trustee, a Department of Justice entity that supervises bankruptcy trustees to ensure compliance with their obligations.
Chapter 7 Trustees for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Michael L. Baker
P.O. Box 175710
Covington, KY 41012
E-mail: mbaker@zslaw.com
Phone: (859) 426-1300
J. Clair Edwards
P.O. Box 1779
Somerset, KY 42502
E-mail: edwardstrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (859) 559-9138
L. Craig Kendrick
8459 US 42
Suite F, #311
Florence, KY 41042
E-mail: kylaw2@fuse.net
Phone: (859) 371-4321
James D. Lyon
P.O. Box 34188
Lexington, KY 40588
E-mail: jdlyonlaw@aol.com
Phone: (859) 397-9316
Lori A. Schlarman
P.O. Box 17275
Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017
E-mail: lastrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (859) 586-1526
James R. Westenhoefer
212 South Third Street
Richmond, KY 40475
E-mail: jrwestenhoefer@aol.com
Phone: (859) 624-0145
Chapter 13 Trustee
Beverly M. Burden
P.O. Box 2204
Lexington, KY 40588 -2204
E-mail: questions@ch13edky.com
Phone: (859) 233-1527
Counties served the Eastern District: Eastern District of Kentucky
Ashland Division:
Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, Lawrence, Lewis, Morgan, Rowan
Covington Division:
Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Mason, Pendleton, Robertson
Frankfort Division:
Anderson, Carroll, Franklin, Henry, Owen, Shelby, Trimble
Lexington Division:
Bath, Bourbon, Boyle, Breathitt, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Menifee, Mercer, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Scott, Wolfe, Woodford
London Division:
Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, McCreary, Owsley, Perry, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne, Whitley
Pikeville Division:
Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, and Pike.
Chapter 7 Trustees for the Western District of Kentucky
Stephen Barnes
163 East Main Street
Suite 200
Lexington, KY 40588 -1598
E-mail: sbarnes@kentuckytrustee.com
Phone: (859) 225-4714
Mark H. Flener
P.O. Box 8
Bowling Green, KY 42102 -0008
E-mail: Mark@flenerlaw.com
Phone: (270)783-8400
Matthew Golden
401 West Main Street
Suite 801
Louisville, KY 40202
E-mail: trustee@mattgoldenlaw.com
Phone: (502) 583-8300
Maurice R. Little
1917 Versnick Way
Madisonville, KY 42431
E-mail: trustee@littlelawky.com
Phone: (270) 821-0110
Michael E. Wheatley
P.O. Box 1072
Prospect, KY 40059
E-mail: mwheatleytr@gmail.com
Phone: (502) 744-6484
Chapter 13 Trustee
William W. Lawrence
300 Republic Plaza Building
200 S. Seventh Street
Louisville, KY 40202
E-mail: Wlch7ecf@gmail.com
Phone: (502) 581-9042
Counties served by the Western District of Kentucky
Louisville Division:
Bullitt, Jefferson, Larue, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Spencer, Washington
Bowling Green Division:
Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, Warren
Owensboro Division:
Breckinridge, Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union, Webster
Paducah Division:
Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, Trigg
You can learn more about filing for bankruptcy and the bankruptcy petition via this link. Information on the bankruptcy court system, contact information for trustees, and your state’s exemptions can be found here. The federal bankruptcy exemptions are listed here. The latest version of the 341 Meeting of the Creditors can be found here.
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Colleges and universities can purchase my bankruptcy law textbook directly from Routledge Publishing. Paralegals and students who are buying single copies can do so via Amazon Books. To access my YouTube channel, click this link. You can also listen to my podcast on Spotify.
Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.