Service
of court pleadings is expensive. It is annoying. It is time-consuming.
And in bankruptcy cases the pain is worse. There are a lot of
documents, often large ones, and usually there are many interested
parties.
Some debtors try to limit the aggravation by
attempting to restrict the service list. I have to believe most
bankruptcy judges dislike restricting service. A party in interest in
any bankruptcy case should have a way to follow the evolution of the
case, so he can participate if he feels his interests are
jeopardized.
We have a better idea. Peter Chapman and I
will distribute court pleadings for you. And we’ll do it for free.
That’s right. Free.
We will set up a listserv mailing
list for your case. The listserv software maintains the subscription
list. Those wanting service can subscribe. And they can unsubscribe
whenever they lose interest in the matter. Peter and I have been
running listserv systems since 1994. They work.
There
will be a different listserv for each case, and whatever is posted by
any preauthorized person will be copied and distributed to every
subscriber. Any message plus any attachment -- court pleadings,
exhibits and documents -- are copied and forwarded.
To
foreclose junk email, each listserv will be set up so that only
authorized persons can post. We will give a password to debtor’s
counsel, his assistant or someone else who will act as list manager by
giving out the password to those qualified to post to the list.
We have named this system
CaseDocket.Com,
and, as you have guessed, set it up at that web address. We will be
delighted to set up a list for any bankruptcy case or, for that matter,
any adversary proceeding where the parties believe they can save money
or time. The case can be any type, anywhere.
CaseDocket.Com
is certainly not a substitute for official service, but most people
would not request formal service if they were receiving documents
electronically. Why bother. And some would rather get them
electronically. I think most judges would be more receptive to
restricted service lists if the documents were otherwise available for
free.
CaseDocket.Com
should be particularly helpful in cross-border matters where service by
postal mail is more expensive and is slowed by the distances. Many
large debtors have cases pending in multiple jurisdictions.
So what’s the catch? I think I heard someone mumble that we must have
an angle.
We
do. Maybe. We will archive every document, and people needing documents
subsequent to the free original distribution can download them. We’re
going to charge for the downloaded document between $15 and $20, about
the cost of a FedEx letter. We hope the subsequent sales will pay for
the service.
