Is PACER free to use ?

[MidwestGuy]

Is PACER free to use (register) or is there fee needed to be payed when you register ?

[SUB]

Search the forum. Looks like there is a fee.

[MidwestGuy]

Thanks.

[lrprn]

Is PACER free to use (register) or is there fee needed to be payed when you register ?

It's free to register. To open and view some of the documents and do some searches, there is a $0.08/page fee. As long as you are careful and don't try searches that return a large number of pages (like searching for every case filed by your lawyer - bad idea! ) and you stay with your own case, you should be fine. Just pay attention to what you are opening and what it will cost to view the documents - there's a notice about the cost before you open any file.

Read the PACER FAQs here to answer most of your questions about using PACER - http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/faq.html

[ejny65]

(like searching for every case filed by your lawyer - bad idea! - http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/faq.html

I met with some attornies, and then I wanted to see some of their cases and if they were successfully discharged their clients or were dismissed, so I typed in their names one at the time.... BAD IDEA, lots of charges.

[blaze]

how often is PACER updated?

I have found it very easy to use - I requested a password online and they mailed it to me. I did not have to give them a credit/debit card or any $$ upfront. They will send you a bill once charges accrue greater than 10$.
Does anyone know how often it is updated? More than once a day? I am very anxious (341 last week) - am I wasting my time checking it more than once each day? Right now it just says the date of our meeting and that it was held.

[brandj5]

I decided to sign up again for the PACER website using a debit card this time. Found my info, and it looks like my meeting is scheduled for April 11th.

Thanks again everyone.

[Teddy]

I'm wondering how often it's updated too. I just filed and found plenty of info, but will anything be updated until my 341?

[blaze]

Mine was updated a few times between filing and our 341 - each time it was when my attny. filed a few things they had asked for in advance of the mtg. - taxes and paycheck stubs. Now that I have had my mtg. I am checking every day waiting to be declared no asset by the trustee - and I was wondering how often I should check each day to see if something is added. I've decided for my sanity's sake to pick one time each day and check and then put it out of my mind until the next day. The waiting is killing us b/c we know the trustee is looking at some property that my DH mom put our name on at some point - even though we did not know it at the time - but found out right before we filed. We never paid anything for it but b/c our name is on the title deed and there is equity in the land - the trustee could force a sale of property which is going to be BAD between us and his mom. Anyway - PACER is great - Just check the date of last filing each time and if it has not changed nothing has changed - no need to look at anything else.

[Teddy]

that would be driving me bonkers too!

I did notice up at the top where it says last filing date so that will help - thanks!

[6ftladycop]

Please be careful with Pacer. If you are a novice or new to requesting information, it could cost you a fortune. Make sure you remember this one thing Pacer customer service told me when I messed up: If you open Pacer to view a document, please make sure you already know the date of the document you want to view(or at least a date close to it). Also remember you filing date as well. If you want to view a document from July 07, once you open Pacer and you are at the page asking for beginning and ending date, you will want to make sure the beginning and ending date is July 07. Pacer will only search that one date. If you forget and put beginning date of July 07, Pacer will search everything from July 07 until today Mar-25-08. Hope that you guys understand what I just wrote. I am just trying to prevent you from paying for hundreds of pages that you did not view or request knowingly. Also Pacer will not tell you this information, you usually learn by mistake.

[FreshLikeADaisy]

One fact to note is that PACER is free at my area's federal courthouse, and also at several schools. It would be worth a call to the bankruptcy clerk to see if PACER is free anywhere in your area. That's how I did my attorney searches: 6ftladycop has an *excellent* point. Good luck!!!