On October 10th the Court announced proposed amendments to the Local Rules and corresponding Local Rules Forms, which are summarized here.  All of those changes, except for the addition of the Trustee’s Notice of Disbursements made to Exhibit A of SC LBR 9013-4, have been adopted, and the amended Local Rules will be effective December 1, 2025.  In addition to those amendments, the following changes will be made to the Court’s Local Forms and CM/ECF events:

 

Local Form Changes:

Trustee’s Notice of Plan Payment Change (Conduit) – new form for the trustee to seek a change in the plan payment by motion in conduit cases.

Order Modifying Plan in accordance with Trustee’s Notice of Plan Payment Change (Conduit) – proposed order form for granting the Trustee’s Notice of Plan Payment Change (Conduit).

Approved Non-Standard Language for Conduit Mortgage Plans – revised approved non-standard language to address if trustee does not have funds available to disburse on a Notice of Fees, Expenses, and Charges and to reflect changes resulting from the national amendments of Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3002.1.

Mediation Order – revised form order to reflect the amendments to SC LBR 9019-2.

Trustee’s Notice to Debtor of Completion of All Plan Payments Due to Trustee Under Chapter 13 Plan and Requirement to File Certification of Plan Completion – revised end of case form notice for chapter 13 trustees to indicate that all payments due to the trustee under the plan have been completed and to outline the remaining filings requirements of a debtor.

Notice of Hearing, Certification of Eligibility for Motions for Hardship Discharge – revised form hearing notice and certification for debtors seeking a hardship discharge.

Notice and Certification of Plan Completion – form notice and certification for chapter 13 debtors upon completion of payments under the confirmed plan.

 

New CM/ECF Events:

Motion to Determine Status Rule 3002.1(f) – file motions to determine status of a mortgage creditor’s claim pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3002.1(f).

Notice of Disbursements Made Rule 3002.1– for chapter 13 trustees to file the Trustee’s End of Case Notice of Disbursements Made pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3002.1(g)(1).

Response to Notice of Disbursements Made Rule 3002.1 – for mortgage creditors to file a response to the Trustee’s Notice of Disbursements Made pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 3002.1(g)(3).

Trustee’s Notice of Plan Payment Change (Conduit) – for chapter 13 trustees to file the Trustee’s Notice of Plan Payment Change (Conduit) form motions. 

 

Modified CM/ECF Events:

Motion to Determine Fees, Expenses or Charges – event name changed from Motion to Determine Mortgage Fees and Expenses.

Certification of Plan Completion, Notice – for chapter 13 debtors to file the Certification of Plan Completion and Notice of Hearing pursuant to SC LBR 3015-5(a)(2)(i).

Hardship Discharge, Notice of Hearing and Certification of Eligibility – for debtors to file a Motion for Hardship Discharge and the Certification of Eligibility as set forth in SC LBR 3015-5(b)(1).

 

Pro Se Filer Changes:

The local rules are amended to provide that only parties represented by counsel are required to notice self-scheduled hearings under SC LBR 9013-4. The Court will issue and serve hearing notices for items listed in the exhibits of SC LBR 9013-4 that are filed by pro se parties. Pro se parties are still responsible to serve the pleadings for which the hearing notices are issued. 

 

Federal Bankruptcy Rules and Forms:

 

The following changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and Official Forms will become effective on December 1, 2025.

 

Amendments to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 

• Bankruptcy Rule 3002.1

• Bankruptcy Rule 8006

 

These rules changes, as well as the changes to Appellate Rules 6, 39 and Civil Rule 16, 26 and new Rule 16.1, can be viewed on the Pending Rules and Forms Amendments page of the United States Courts website. The Congressional Package dated April 2025 contains black-line versions of the Rules and Committee Notes for a quick reference of the changes.