On my bankruptcy forms, should I list debts that appear on my credit report but I don't owe?

Written by Attorney Jonathan Petts.  
Updated July 22, 2020

Short answer:

Yes.

Longer answer:

It's a good idea to list all of the debts from your credit report that have a balance. Your credit report probably includes debts you have paid off -- you do not need to include these.

You should include debts with a balance even if you do not think you owe them. Best case scenario the debt will be discharged and you won't have to worry about it any more. Worst case you will be in the same position you are in now with that particular debt.

If you are in the process of disputing a debt that you think you don't owe, just mark it as "Disputed" on your paperwork (our system will help you with this) so that the judge is aware.

About the author

Attorney Jonathan Petts

Jonathan Petts has over 10 years of experience in bankruptcy and is co-founder and Board Chair of Upsolve. Attorney Petts has an LLM in Bankruptcy from St. John's University, clerked for two federal bankruptcy judges, and worked at two top New York City law firms specializing in... read more