11 U.S. Code § 301 - Voluntary cases | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

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</nav> </header> <div id="page" class="main-container container-fluid">  <header> </header> <div id="main"> <div id="content" class="col-sm-8" role="main"> <div class="bcrumbandprevnext alpha grid-8 clear-block"> <div class="bcandpnwrap clear-block"> <div id="bcrumbleft"> </div> <div id="bcrumbleftlogo"> </div> <ol itemprop="breadcrumb" class="breadcrumb"><li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text" title="United States Code">U.S. Code</a> › <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11" title="Title 11 - BANKRUPTCY" extid="usc_sup_01_11">Title 11</a> › <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/chapter-3" title="Chapter 3 - CASE ADMINISTRATION" extid="usc_sup_01_11_10_3">Chapter 3</a> › <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/chapter-3/subchapter-I" title="Subchapter I - COMMENCEMENT OF A CASE" extid="usc_sup_01_11_10_3_20_I">Subchapter I</a> › § 301</li></ol> </div></div> <a id="main-content"></a> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">11 U.S. Code § 301 - Voluntary cases</h1>  <div id="content1"> <div id="block-quicktabs-us-code-temp-noupdates" class="block block-quicktabs even"> <div id="quicktabs-us_code_temp_noupdates" class="quicktabs-wrapper quicktabs-style-zen"><div class="item-list"><ul class="quicktabs-tabs quicktabs-style-zen"><li class="active first"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/301?qt-us_code_temp_noupdates=0#qt-us_code_temp_noupdates" id="quicktabs-tab-us_code_temp_noupdates-0" class="active">US Code</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/301?qt-us_code_temp_noupdates=1#qt-us_code_temp_noupdates" id="quicktabs-tab-us_code_temp_noupdates-1" class="active">Notes</a></li> </ul></div><div id="quicktabs-container-us_code_temp_noupdates" class="quicktabs_main quicktabs-style-zen"><div id="quicktabs-tabpage-us_code_temp_noupdates-0" class="quicktabs-tabpage "><div id="block-uscode-text" class="block block-uscode first odd"> <div id="prevnext">prev | <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/302" title="§ 302 - Joint cases" rel="lii:usc:t:11:s:302">next</a></div><div class="liicontent"> <div class="msec1"> <div class="section"> <div class="num" value="301">§ 301.</div> <div class="heading"> Voluntary cases</div> <div class="subsection indent0"><a name="a"></a><span class="num" value="a">(a)</span> <div class="content"> A voluntary case under a chapter of this title is commenced by the filing with the bankruptcy court of a petition under such chapter by an <a class="colorbox-load definedterm" href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=11-USC-1298275357-71778044&term_occur=32&term_src=title:11:chapter:3:subchapter:I:section:301" title="entity">entity</a> that may be a debtor under such chapter.</div> </div> <div class="subsection indent0"><a name="b"></a><span class="num" value="b">(b)</span> <div class="content"> The commencement of a voluntary case under a chapter of this title constitutes an <a class="colorbox-load definedterm" href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=11-USC-1984026330-556503785&term_occur=12&term_src=title:11:chapter:3:subchapter:I:section:301" title="order for relief">order for relief</a> under such chapter.</div> </div> <div class="sourceCredit">(<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/95th-congress#598" title="Pub. L. 95–598">Pub. L. 95–598</a>, <span class="date" date="1978-11-06">Nov. 6, 1978</span>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/92_Stat._2558" title="92 Stat. 2558">92 Stat. 2558</a>; <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/Pub._L._109-8" title="Pub. L. 109–8, title V">Pub. L. 109–8, title V</a>, § 501(b), <span class="date" date="2005-04-20">Apr. 20, 2005</span>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/119_Stat._118" title="119 Stat. 118">119 Stat. 118</a>.)</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div><div id="quicktabs-tabpage-us_code_temp_noupdates-1" class="quicktabs-tabpage quicktabs-hide"><div id="block-uscode-notes" class="block block-uscode even"> <div class="liimisc"> <div class="notes"> <div class="note" topic="historicalAndRevision"><span class="heading centered smallCaps">Historical and Revision Notes</span> </div> <div class="note" topic="miscellaneous"><span class="heading centered smallCaps">legislative statements</span> <p>Sections 301, 302, 303, and 304 are all modified in the House amendment to adopt an idea contained in sections 301 and 303 of the Senate amendment requiring a petition commencing a case to be filed with the bankruptcy court. The exception contained in section 301 of the Senate bill relating to cases filed under chapter 9 is deleted. Chapter 9 cases will be handled by a bankruptcy court as are other title 11 cases.</p> </div> <div class="note" topic="miscellaneous"><span class="heading centered smallCaps">senate report no. 95–989</span> <p>Section 301 specifies the manner in which a voluntary bankruptcy case is commenced. The debtor files a petition under this section under the particular operative chapter of the bankruptcy code under which he wishes to proceed. The filing of the petition constitutes an <a class="colorbox-load definedterm" href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=11-USC-1984026330-556503785&term_occur=13&term_src=" title="order for relief">order for relief</a> in the case under that chapter. The section contains no change from current law, except for the use of the phrase “<a class="colorbox-load definedterm" href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/uscode.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=11-USC-1984026330-556503785&term_occur=14&term_src=" title="order for relief">order for relief</a>” instead of “adjudication.” The term adjudication is replaced by a less pejorative phrase in light of the clear power of Congress to permit voluntary bankruptcy without the necessity for an adjudication, as under the 1898 act [former title 11], which was adopted when voluntary bankruptcy was a concept not thoroughly tested.</p> </div> <div class="note" topic="amendments"><span class="heading centered smallCaps">Amendments</span> <p>2005—<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/Pub._L._109-8" title="Pub. L. 109–8">Pub. L. 109–8</a> designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), struck out “The commencement of a voluntary case under a chapter of this title constitutes an order for relief under such chapter.” at end, and added subsec. (b).</p> </div> <div class="note" topic="effectiveDateOfAmendment"><span class="heading centered smallCaps">Effective Date of 2005 Amendment</span> <p>Amendment by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/Pub._L._109-8" title="Pub. L. 109–8">Pub. L. 109–8</a> effective 180 days after <span class="date" date="2005-04-20">Apr. 20, 2005</span>, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under this title before such effective date, except as otherwise provided, see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/rio/citation/Pub._L._109-8" title="section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8">section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8</a>, set out as a note under <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/101" title="§ 101 - Definitions">section 101 of this title</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div> </div> <div id="block-block-59" class="block block-block last odd"> <p><em> </em></p><p><em>LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.</em></p> </div> </div> <div id="page-bottom"> <div class="region region-bottom"> <div id="block-liidfp-2" class="block block-liidfp first last odd"> <div class="gfs"><div id="div-gpt-ad-bottom"> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside id="sidebar-second" class="col-sm-4"> <section class="region region-sidebar-second column sidebar"> <div id="block-liidfp-0" class="block block-liidfp first odd"> <div class="gfs"><div id="div-gpt-ad-top"> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> </div></div> </div> <div id="block-liidfp-6" class="block block-liidfp even"> <div class="sponsorcaption"><div id="div-gpt-ad-sponsorcaption"> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> </div></div> </div> <div id="block-block-50" class="block block-block odd"> <h2 class="title toolbox">U.S. Code Toolbox</h2><div class="clear-block wexlink">Wex: <a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/bankruptcy">Bankruptcy Law: Overview</a></div><div id="topnlink" class="toolboxlink"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/topn">Table of Popular Names</a></div><div id="ptoalink" class="toolboxlink"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/ptoa">Parallel Table of Authorities</a></div><div id="updatelink" class="toolboxlink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326/https://help.law.cornell.edu/forum/category-2/help-with_aa/88-how-current-is-the-information-on-the-lii-website">How current is this?</a></div>  <div class="social"> <div class="socSep"><hr/></div>    <div class="addthis_sharing_toolbox"></div> <div class="socSep"><hr/></div> <script type="text/javascript"> var addthis_config = { data_track_addressbar: false, data_track_clickback: true, publid: 'liiadverts' }; var addthis_share = { url_transforms: { shorten: { twitter: 'bitly' } }, shorteners: { bitly: { login: 'liicornell', apiKey: 'R_75b99d95e1c3033c4dbea23ce04bf5d3' } }, passthrough : { twitter: { via: 'LIICornell' } } }; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20171019221326js_/https://s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=liiadverts" async="async"></script>  </div> </div> <div id="block-liidfp-1" class="block block-liidfp even"> <div class="gfs"><div id="div-gpt-ad-middle"> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> </div></div> </div> <div id="block-lii-justia-find-lawyers-sidebar" class="block block-lii last odd"> <h2 class="block__title block-title">Find a Lawyer</h2> <div id="block-lii-justia-lawyers" class="block block-lii last even"><div class="sidebar"><div class="results-sponsored"><div data-directive="j-find-a-lawyer" data-crosslink="seemorelawyers" data-domain="lawyers.law.cornell.edu"></div></div></div></div> </div> </section> </aside>  </div>    <footer id="liifooter" class="container"> <ul id="liifooternav" class="nav navbar-nav"> <li class="first"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/about/about_lii" class="nav">About LII</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/about/contact_us" class="nav">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/help_out/sponsor">Advertise here</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/help" class="nav">Help</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/terms/documentation" class="nav">Terms of use</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/lii/terms/privacy_policy" class="nav">Privacy</a></li> </ul> <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right"> <li><a href="/web/20171019221326/https://www.law.cornell.edu/"><img width="62" height="43" border="0" src="/web/20171019221326im_/https://www.law.cornell.edu/sites/all/themes/liizenboot/images/LII_logo_footer.gif"/></a> </li> </ul> </footer>   <script> var $ = jQuery.noConflict(); $(document).ready(function(){ $("#liisearchlink").click(function(){ $("#liisearch").toggle('slide'); }); }); </script> </body> </html>

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