A proof of claim is a written statement submitted by a creditor to receive money from a debtor who has filed for bankruptcy. The proof of claim notifies the bankruptcy court, the debtor, the bankruptcy trustee and other interested parties that a creditor wishes to assert its rights to receive a distribution from a bankruptcy case that has assets. The proof of claim should include a copy of the documentation giving rise to the claim, as well as evidence of secured status if the claim is secured.
If the trustee files a Trustee's Notice of Assets & Request for Notice to Creditors in a chapter 7 no asset case, creditors will be sent a notice of the deadline (bar date) by which a claim is due. In a Chapter 7 "asset" case, the deadline (bar date) for creditors who have claims against the debtor is stated in the Notice of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Meeting of Creditors and Deadlines.
The court’s acceptance of a proof of claim does not guarantee you will be repaid; the bankruptcy trustee repays creditors based on the type of debt that is owed, with whatever funds are available from the bankruptcy estate. It’s the job of the bankruptcy trustee to pay valid claims with the debtor’s available funds, based on their priority status.
There are two ways a Proof of Claim may be filed with the court:
- by mailing or delivering a paper copy of the Proof of Claim form to the Clerk's Office in Phoenix, Tucson or Yuma;
- or by using our online Electronic Proof of Claim (ePOC) application.
The instructions below provide guidance for online filing of claims.
Instructions for Filing an Electronic Proof of Claim (ePOC)
A proof of claim may be filed online using the electronic proof of claim (ePOC) application. If you are filing a proof of claim electronically for the first time, please read all information provided below BEFORE attempting to file your proof of claim. This service is provided as an alternative filing option for those parties not eligible to register for CM/ECF who previously had to file their proofs of claim conventionally (on paper) with the court.
A claim filed electronically on this court’s website will constitute the filer’s approved signature and have the same force and effect as if the filer signed a paper copy of the document. Documents required to be verified or contain an unsworn declaration that are filed electronically will be treated, for all purposes (both civil and criminal including penalties for perjury), the same as if signed or subscribed.
Certain personal information must be removed from all documents before electronically submitting the proof of claim form. All filers must redact: Social Security or taxpayer-identification numbers; dates of birth; names of minor children; and financial account numbers, in compliance with Bankruptcy Rule 9037. This requirement applies to all documents including attachments.
You will be prompted to upload attachments before submitting the claim. Attachments uploaded via this web site MUST be in a PDF format, MUST be smaller than 10mb in size (larger documents can be broken down into multiple documents that are smaller), and MUST NOT contain document security.