The United States Trustee appoints and supervises trustees, and monitors and supervises cases under chapter 7 of title 11 of the United States Code (Bankruptcy Code). 28 U.S.C. § 586. This Handbook is intended to establish or clarify the views of the United States Trustee Program (Program) on the duties owed by a chapter 7 trustee to the debtors, creditors, other parties in interest and the United States Trustee. The Handbook does not present a full and complete statement of the law; it should not be used as a substitute for legal research and analysis.
The Handbook has been updated to incorporate provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA). Trustees are encouraged to visit the Program’s website and review the Supplementary Materials to this Handbook at http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/private_trustee/ library/ chapter07/ and the bankruptcy reform materials at http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/.
Click on the following link to access the Handbook: http://www.justice.gov/ust/eo/private_trustee/library/chapter07/docs/ch7hb2012/Handbook_for_Chapter_7_Trustees.pdf