1-00:  Introduction to The Central Guide -- Compare with Court Manual -- Recorded Orientation -- Public Orientations -- Contact the Court

The Central Guide was released effective December 9, 2021, and is an online tool intended to assist lawyers, legal assistants, trustees, and the public in properly presenting requests for orders and other documents in our bankruptcy court.   The Central Guide replaces the Court Manual, which began as a 100 page manual that grew to a 200-page pdf with 10 appendices!  It is time to retire the Court Manual and let its digital progeny handle dissemination of information and forms using links and webpages, i.e., the way that our society accesses information today. 

A.  Does The Central Guide Create New Rules?  NO ... The Central Guide does not create new rules.  Just as the Court Manual did not contain new rules, neither does The Central Guide.  Instead, The Central Guide helps make current rules more accessible but does not replace applicable rules.

• BK Code, FRBP, LBR  -- The primary source of rules in bankruptcy court are found in the Bankruptcy Code (BK Code), Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (FRBP) and Local Bankruptcy Rules (LBR).  Section 2-00 of The Central Guide contains links to complete sets of these BK Code sections, FRBP and LBR.  Section 2-00 also contains a link to a complete set of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) and our court's LBR Forms.   
• The Central Guide Refers to these rules -- In section 4 of The Central Guide, we list LBR and FRBP one at a time in a sequence, provide links to related forms and website content that will help implement those rules, and provide a description that may better explain how to implement the rule and warn of potential consequences of not following the rule. 
• If Specific Instructions are not found in LBR -- Sometimes a section of The Central Guide will contain specific instructions that are not found in an LBR .  The reason is the specific LBR directs you to find information or instructions in The Central Guide.   

B.  How is The Central Guide Organized?  The Central Guide is divided into four sections.  

• TCG Section 1 provides hyperlinks to common protocols and procedures located on our court’s website, including procedures that were contained in the original "Court Manual" before our court’s website became more comprehensive.
• TCG Section 2 provides tips and hyperlinks to important procedures for serving documents and providing notice to parties.
• TCG Section 3 provides hyperlinks and describes judges procedures and information found (A) on individual webpages of each bankruptcy judge who serves in the Central District of California, and (B) in common website areas because the procedures apply to all judges.  
• TCG Section 4 provides references to LBR and forms that relate to specific LBR, and specific FRBP and related forms.  There are nine groups of LBR whose numbers begin with LBR 1001-1 and end with LBR 9075-1.  When reading a specific LBR you are sometimes directed to consult The Central Guide.  This means to search section 4 of The Central Guide for that specific LBR link and follow the directions found at that LBR link.  Some judges have procedures that supplement or differ from procedures set forth in a particular LBR or in The Central Guide.  For each judge’s specific requirements, please visit that judge's webpage located under "Judges" on this website. 

C.  Is information in The Central Guide found at more than one place in The Central Guide?  YES. This makes it convenient to access resources to comply with applicable rules instead of having to search the list of rules in section 4 of The Central Guide.    

• Searching by Topic Instead of Rule Number -- We want you to be able to find information quickly in a place you normally think to look. It may not be intuitive to look in section 4 and find the correct LBR in its numerical sequence. Thus, we created TCG Section 2 and TCG Section 3 and placed rule-related information in those sections by topics instead of starting with an applicable LBR or FRBP number. 
• For example, section 2-05 provides information about setting a hearing on Regular Notice. That information derives from LBR 9013-1(d) and, thus is also found in section 4 under LBR 9013-1(d).  The rest of the rules on serving motions and setting hearings are found in a logical topical sequence in sections 2-06, 2-07, 2-08, 2-09 and 2-10. 

D.  Where can I look in The Central Guide to find information that was in the Court Manual?  All pertinent information contained in the Court Manual is accessible in The Central Guide either in a description, in a pdf, or at a link to another location on our court's website.  

• Comparison Table -- See link below to Public Notice 21-024 which contains a table comparing location of Court Manual content with its location in The Central Guide.  
• TCG Supplements -- "TCG Supplement" means "The Central Guide Supplement."  Each TCG Supplement is a pdf that contains information and instructions copied directly from the Court Manual into a pdf.  Each pdf is labeled with the Local Bankruptcy Rule (LBR) or Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure (FRBP) that is the legal authority for the court to provide the information and instructions.  The Central Guide is focused on LBR and FRBP.  Therefore, information and instructions found in each TCG Supplement is designed to "Supplement" the specific LBR or FRBP.  For example, TCG Supplement to LBR 5005-4 contains the CM/ECF Procedures that comprised all of section 3 of the Court Manual.  LBR 5005-4 is the Local Bankruptcy Rule that requires or authorizes electronic filing of documents via CM/ECF.
• Descriptions in TCG sections -- Some information from the Court Manual was short enough that a pdf was not needed.  Instead, the information or instructions fit best in description sentences found at every section of The Central Guide.  
• Complete List of all 20 TCG Supplements -- See section 4 of The Central Guide, section 1000 for links to all 20 TCG Supplements.  

E.  Is there an orientation video I can watch to learn more about The Central Guide?  YES.  On March 16, 2022, the court recorded an orientation video to guide you on how to locate information in The Central Guide, and point to particular information that you may find helpful.  

F.  How do I contact the court about The Central Guide?   To contact the court about The Central Guide, see links below to Contact Us, Call Center, and Live Chat Support  (Hours are M-F, 9:00-4:00 excluding holidays).  Or, send an email to comments@cacb.uscourts.gov.