Local Rule 1002-1: COMMENCEMENT OF VOLUNTARY CASE
Bankr. C.D. Ill. — General rule
RULE 1002‐1 COMMENCEMENT OF VOLUNTARY CASE
(A) Voluntary Case Filing. A case under the Code may only be commenced by petition. A voluntary petition must be signed by the debtor(s) and filed on the current Official Form. A "case" opened by filing an unsigned petition is a nullity and will be dismissed without notice or hearing. Petitions filed on a form other than the current Official Form may be dismissed without notice or hearing.
(B) Mailing Matrix. For cases filed electronically, the Mailing Matrix shall be submitted in a computer readable format. An extension of time to file the Mailing Matrix may only be granted upon motion and for cause. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(a)(5). Any voluntary case filed without the Mailing Matrix or a motion seeking an extension of time for cause may be dismissed without notice or hearing.
(C) Compliance with Credit Counseling Requirements. All voluntary petitions for individual debtors shall include a statement regarding each debtor's compliance with the credit counseling requirements of §109(h). Subject to subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this paragraph, each individual debtor shall personally satisfy the statutory pre‐petition credit counseling requirements and file with the petition a certificate of completion as required by §521(b). In a joint case, each debtor must obtain their own certificate; both certificates may be saved as a single PDF and filed together. Credit counseling may not be completed by a power of attorney (POA), guardian, or other representative on the debtor's behalf.
(1) If the debtor has received the credit counseling briefing required by §109(h)(1) but does not have the certificate required by §521(b) when the petition is filed, the debtor shall state as much on the petition and file the certificate within 14 days thereof.
(2) If the debtor is unable to complete credit counseling despite meaningful efforts to do so, the debtor shall include with the petition a certification under §109(h)(3), describing their efforts to obtain the required credit counseling briefing and exigent circumstances that merit a temporary waiver of the requirements of §109(h)(1).
(3) If the debtor is unable to complete credit counseling due to incapacity, disability, or active military duty in a combat zone as defined in §109(h)(4), the debtor shall state as much on the petition and file contemporaneously with the petition a motion to excuse compliance entirely on that basis.
The failure of any debtor in an individual or joint voluntary case to satisfy the requirements specified in this subsection may result in dismissal of the case as to each such debtor without notice or hearing.