Victoria S. Kaufman
How Judge Kaufman rules, drawn from 25 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Kaufman
Victoria S. Kaufman has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California since May 2006. Her second term began in May 2020. Before joining the bench, she practiced bankruptcy litigation and clerked for Bankruptcy Judge Marilyn Shea-Stonum.
Judge Kaufman's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Kaufman, as published on the court's website (checked October 10, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
- Electronic Devices in the Courtroom ↗
- Judicial Variance Statement ↗
- Judge Kaufman’s Judicial Practice Guide: 20 Common Situations ↗
- Notice of Availability of Self-Help Services ↗
- Notice of Standards to be Employed in the Review of Applications for Authorization of Employment of Professionals ↗
- Procedures for Auction Sales ↗
- Serving Judge’s Copies of Documents for Cases Assigned to Judge Victoria S. Kaufman ↗
- Status Conference Instructions ↗
- Tentative Ruling Procedures for Judge Victoria S. Kaufman ↗
- Telephonic Appearance Procedures ↗
Key rules
Motions
For an emergency or shortened-notice request other than a Chapter 11 first-day motion, file the moving papers and deliver a judge’s copy before Judge Kaufman considers it.
“the applicable moving papers must first be filed on the docket and a judge’s copy must be delivered to Judge Kaufman’s bin on the first floor of 21041 Burbank Blvd., Woodland Hills, California 91367 before the matter will be considered.”
Trial
Appear in person for trials and evidentiary hearings with live testimony before Judge Kaufman.
“Judge Kaufman requires in-person appearances for all trials and evidentiary hearings with live testimony.”
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 10, 2026).
How Judge Kaufman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In re IN Holdings, Kaufman awarded professional fees and enforcement costs but denied post-confirmation interest because the confirmed plan did not provide for it.
“The Court will not award post-confirmation interest to STS. The Joint Amended Plan does not provide for the payment of interest on allowed administrative expenses of professionals.”
Procedural preferences
In Weil v. Elliott, she treated a motion labeled as reopening the case as a request for post-judgment relief because the adversary proceeding had not been closed.
“Although his pleading is titled a motion to reopen, Defendant does not appear to be requesting that the adversary proceeding be reopened; it has not been closed.”
Cautions
In Mayorga v. Fancher, she excluded an expert declaration and trial testimony after finding that the defendant had not complied with the trial order and expert disclosure requirements.
“Because Defendant did not comply with the Trial Order and the expert witness disclosure requirements set forth in Fed R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2), and because Mr. Greene’s testimony does not comply with Rule 701(c), the Court will sustain Plaintiff’s objection to the Greene Declaration”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For the reasons discussed below, the Court will deny the following motions filed by debtor Lusine Hakhverdyan (‘Debtor’): ‘Motion to Vacate Extension Order, Declaration that Stipulations Are Void Ab Initio, Request to Restore Rule 4007(c) Deadline, and Request for Sanctions’ (the ‘First Relief Motion’) [doc. 34]; ‘Motion to Vacate Void Extension Orders’ [doc. 37]; ‘Motion to Strike All Unauthorized Stipulations’ [doc. 38]; ‘Motion to Sanction Attorney Misconduct’ [doc. 39] and ‘Motion to Bar Any Further § 523 Actions as Time-Barred’ [doc. 40] (collectively, ‘Debtor’s FRCP 60 Motions”).”
“The Court will grant, in part, the Disgorgement Motion.”
“The Court will deny the Motion.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court will deny the Motion.”
“the Court will deny the allowance of all compensation”
“For the reasons set forth above, the Court determines that cause exists to terminate”
“the Court will relieve Defendant from any deemed admissions and allow Defendant to amend his responses to the Rule 36(a) Request”
After trial, the plaintiffs prevailed on one nondischargeability theory and the defendant prevailed on another.
The signed trial decision denied the debtor a discharge under two statutory grounds.
After trial, the plaintiff prevailed on one nondischargeability theory and the defendant on another.
After trial, the court ruled for the defendant on the pleaded nondischargeability claims.
“Petitioning Creditors’ Second Motion for Summary Judgment is granted.”
“Marciano’s Motion for Reconsideration and cross-motion for summary judgment are both denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Five sampled early-tenure matters terminated in 196 to 435 days, with a median of 304 days. Five matters filed on August 14, 2026 remained pending. This boundary sample is descriptive and is not a complete caseload census.
Draft for Judge Kaufman with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Kaufman, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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