Timothy A. Barnes
How Judge Barnes rules, drawn from 21 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Barnes
Timothy A. Barnes has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since May 2012. He studied at Miami University and Ohio State University, where he earned his law degree. Before joining the bench, he clerked for a bankruptcy judge in Ohio and practiced at law firms in the United States and abroad.
Judge Barnes's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Barnes, 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.
- Judge Timothy A Barnes Procedures ↗
- Standing Order No. 3: Motions to Modify Confirmed Chapter 13 Plans ↗
- Standing Order No. 2: Applications for Compensation in Chapter 13 Cases ↗
- Standing Order No. 4: Matters Continued on a Draft Order to Follow Basis ↗
Key rules
Motions
Attach all evidence relied on to a motion or objection concerning modification of a confirmed Chapter 13 plan.
“Any motion to modify a confirmed plan under 11 U.S.C. § 1329 ( ‘Motion’) and any objection thereto (‘Objection’) must attach any and all evidence relied upon by the movant or the objecting party.”
Conferences
Telephone appearance over Zoom is reserved for self-represented parties and attorneys with a demonstrable urgent need.
“Telephonic attendance over Zoom is reserved for pro se parties and attorneys with a demonstrable exigent circumstance necessitating such a manner of appearance.”
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 Barnes decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In In re Walker, Barnes denied a motion to dismiss the bankruptcy case based on the debtor’s same-day credit counseling.
“For that reason, the Motion is not well taken and should be denied.”
Cautions
A Chapter 13 plan may fail good-faith review when it omits predictable postpetition tax liabilities and the debtor's history makes that omission fundamentally unfair to a tax purchaser.
“Thus, the June Plan has not been proposed in good faith and fails to satisfy section 1325(a)(3).”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“The Motion will therefore be granted in the manner set forth herein.”
“The Motion is DENIED as unnecessary.”
“The Motion is GRANTED as set forth herein;”
“granting in part; and denying in part Defendant’s Motion To Dismiss”
“the court declines to deny the Debtor’s discharge under section 727(a)(4)(A)”
“That the Objection is OVERRULED and the Debtor’s claim of exemption is allowed.”
“The Motion for Stay Pending Appeal is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part, as set forth herein.”
“granting in part and denying in part Defendant’s Motion To Dismiss”
“the UCB Motion should and will be GRANTED”
“the IDOR Motion must and will be DENIED”
“The Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED.”
Draft for Judge Barnes with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Barnes, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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