Trustees often have specific rules regarding the conduct of their 341 meeting of creditors. And while many procedural rules are common to all Trustees, there can be slight differences in their actions or requirements.
The information provided with Standard Legal’s Bankruptcy legal forms software indicates that tax returns of the debtor must be provided to the Trustee holding the 341 meeting no later than seven (7) days prior to the date of the 341 meeting. This is a standardized rule, regardless of which judicial district the case is filed. But Standard Legal also suggests bringing additional copies of these tax documents with you to the meeting to ensure their receipt, as delaying their provision only delays the case.
As to the bank statements, the federal bankruptcy rules and regulations themselves do not require that bank statements be provided to the trustee prior to the 341 meeting. That does not mean, however, that the trustee cannot require these statements to be produced at the 341 meeting. Each Trustee is permitted to require the debtor to produce certain information that the trustee may require at the 341 meeting, so it is best to be prepared.
As is stated in the materials furnished with Standard Legal’s Bankruptcy legal forms software, it is always beneficial for the debtor to contact the trustee\’s office PRIOR TO the 341 meeting to determine whether the particular Trustee assigned to the case has any specific requirements for his or her 341 meeting. To ignore this suggestion means that the Trustee may cancel and reschedule a second 341 meeting if the documents expected are not available.