Christopher L. Hawkins
How Judge Hawkins rules, drawn from 8 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Hawkins
Christopher L. Hawkins has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Alabama since March 2022. Before joining the court, he practiced bankruptcy and insolvency law for more than twenty years.
Judge Hawkins's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Hawkins, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Filing
Use the appropriate local form when filing a suggestion of death or incompetency for a debtor.
“When filing a Suggestion of Death or Incompetency on behalf of a debtor, the appropriate”
Motions
A debtor seeking to extend or impose the stay should attach a supporting affidavit or appear to testify at the hearing.
“should the debtor fail to attach an affidavit, the”
Motions
A stay affidavit should explain why the prior case failed and what changed to improve prospects in the current case.
“Affidavits supporting the motions should explain why the most recently dismissed case(s)”
Motions
Attach an affidavit and Fact Summary Sheet to a motion for relief from stay as separate docket attachments.
“Movant should attach an Affidavit and”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026).
- Amended Administrative Order 2026-03 Regarding the Filing of Deficiency Claims ↗
- Administrative Order 2024-03 on Motions to Transfer Venue ↗
- General Order 2021-02: Procedures for Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
- E-Orders Guidelines and Procedures ↗
- Procedure for Attorneys Filing Redactions ↗
- Amended Order Governing Procedures in Cases Under Chapter 13 ↗
How Judge Hawkins decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
A proposed amendment is denied when the new claims would be time-barred or otherwise fail to state a viable claim.
“rendering amendment to the Complaint futile”
Summary judgment is inappropriate when the asserted preclusion doctrine does not eliminate genuine disputes over dischargeability.
“there exist genuine issues of material fact as to the whether a discharge of the Defendant’s claim is appropriate in this case”
Procedural preferences
Professional-retention requests must stay within the statutory authority for estate professionals and address potential adversity to non-debtor parties.
“Section 327(a) does not permit an order authorizing the retention of professionals to represent non-debtor parties”
In Jackson Hospital & Clinic v. Blue Cross, Hawkins denied a preliminary injunction seeking higher reimbursement rates because the hospital had not shown likely success or unavoidable irreparable harm and the requested order would rewrite its contract.
“the mechanism the Hospital seeks to employ – a preliminary injunction pursuant to which the Court rewrites a contract and imposes terms of performance on a party that it did not agree to – is antithetical to the public interest.”
Cautions
Repeated reliance on fabricated or inaccurate legal authorities can lead to a public reprimand and loss of permission to appear in the case.
“The use of generative artificial intelligence to multiply the proceedings in this case was particularly egregious”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDERED that the Motion is DENIED.”
“ORDERED that the Motion is GRANTED, and this adversary proceeding is DISMISSED.”
“For the reasons set forth above, it is ORDERED that the Motion is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, the Motion for Leave is DENIED.”
“the Motion is GRANTED, and the debt owed by Franklin to Cosmographic under the Consent Judgment is NONDISCHARGEABLE pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).”
“ORDERED that the Motion to Reconsider is DENIED.”
The court publicly reprimanded an attorney, revoked her admission in the case, and required remedial distribution and training after repeated inaccurate and fabricated legal citations.
“the Court finds that the Hospital has failed to meet the extraordinarily high burden necessary to obtain a preliminary injunction. Accordingly, the Motion is hereby DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The four terminated sampled matters lasted 851 to 1,398 days, with a median of 1,295.5 days. Two newly filed pending matters were included to preserve a current boundary; they had not matured to a groundable outcome.
Draft for Judge Hawkins with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Hawkins, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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