The trustee's role at the 341 meeting
Under 11 U.S.C. § 341, the trustee convenes and presides at the meeting of creditors. The bankruptcy judge does not attend. The trustee puts you under oath and asks questions about your petition, your assets, your debts, and your financial history.
The 341 meeting is the trustee's primary opportunity to evaluate your case in person. They have already reviewed your paperwork. Now they want to verify key facts and see if anything seems inconsistent.
For a complete guide to the 341 meeting, see 341meeting.org.
Standard trustee questions
Most trustees follow a standard script. Typical questions include:
- Did you review your petition and schedules before they were filed?
- Is everything listed accurate and complete?
- Do you own any real property?
- Have you transferred any property in the last 2 to 4 years?
- Do you have any pending lawsuits or insurance claims?
- Are you current on your tax returns?
- Do you expect to receive any inheritance or insurance proceeds?
- Are you owed any money by anyone?
- Have you filed bankruptcy before?
In Chapter 13 cases, the trustee also asks about your income, expenses, and whether your proposed plan payment is accurate.
What the trustee is really looking for
- Consistency. Do your answers match your paperwork? Do your bank statements match your reported income?
- Omissions. Did you forget to list an asset, a bank account, or a transfer?
- Red flags. Large cash transactions, recent property transfers, missing tax returns, or luxury spending before filing.
- Exemption issues. Are your exemptions properly claimed under the correct state law?
How to prepare
- Review every page of your petition and schedules before the meeting
- Bring government-issued photo ID and proof of Social Security number
- Bring your most recent tax return and 60 days of pay stubs
- Be ready to answer questions about any transfers, sales, or gifts in the past 2 to 4 years
- If you made a mistake on your petition, tell your attorney so they can amend it before the meeting
The 341 meeting is not a trial. Most meetings last 5 to 15 minutes. The trustee has dozens of cases on the calendar. If your paperwork is accurate and you answer honestly, the meeting is routine. Thousands happen every business day across the country.