Robert D. Berger
How Judge Berger rules, drawn from 32 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Berger
Robert D. Berger has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Kansas since 2003. He sits in Kansas City, Kansas, and his first fourteen-year term ended in October 2017.
Judge Berger's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Berger, 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.
- Default Judgment Guidelines ↗
- Fee Guidelines ↗
- Motions Docket Noticing Instructions ↗
- Pretrial Order ↗
Key rules
Filing
In a fee application, itemize each service by worker, date, and task.
“Individual and separate entries for each service performed, identifying: (1) who performed the work; (2) the date the work was performed; (3) a description of the work performed”
Filing
Within five days after notice that a matrix address failed delivery, file a correction and serve the missed notices.
“Within five (5) days after receiving this notification, you must: (1) file a change of address; and (2) serve any undelivered notices to all parties not served by the BNC.”
Motions
File a default-judgment motion only after the clerk enters default, then upload a proposed order.
“A Motion for Default Judgment can be filed after the Clerk has entered the Clerk=s Entry of Default. Counsel will be responsible for uploading an appropriate Order Granting the Motion for Default Judgment for the Court=s approval.”
Motions
Serve a default-judgment motion on any appeared attorney or pro se defendant and allow 21 days for a response.
“In that case, plaintiff is required to serve a copy of the Motion for Default Judgment on the attorney (or pro se defendant) who appeared and wait twenty-one (21) days for a response”
Motions
For Judge Berger’s nonevidentiary motions docket, use either the objection-triggered hearing notice or the notice setting a hearing regardless of objection.
“Two forms of notice for Judge Berger’s Motions Docket for nonevidentiary hearings are set forth below. One is a notice that provides for a hearing only if an objection is filed; the other is a notice that sets a hearing even if no objection is filed.”
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 Berger decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
Summary-judgment submissions should direct the court to particular record pages or paragraphs rather than leave the court to search a large attachment.
“Without specific citations that direct the Court to the relevant support, it will not ‘“scour the record” independently, beyond those portions cited by the parties in search of record material pertinent to the pending summary judgment motion.’”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“For all of the foregoing reasons, the Trustee’s motion to modify Scheppers’s Chapter 13 plan under 11 U.S.C. § 1329 to increase her monthly plan payments by $2,000.00 is hereby denied.”
“For those reasons, the Court hereby overrules Wells Fargo’s objection to confirmation.”
“Southampton’s second amended motion for summary judgment on its claim under § 523(a)(2)(A) is hereby granted.”
“The Court agrees and will sustain Ashford’s objection as to the $12,368.88 in fees and expenses incurred by First Federal prior to April 12, 2024— i.e., outside the 180-day window—for failure to comply with Rule 3002.1(c).”
“For the reasons stated here and in the Court’s July 17, 2025 order, Wilmington’s remaining requests for relief are hereby denied.”
The court dismissed the case with a refiling bar on its own authority; the order was retained but excluded from motion statistics.
“Because Becker’s complaint plausibly alleges that Reed intentionally injured Toby, Reed’s motion for judgment on the pleadings is hereby denied.”
“Because D'Achiardi has not satisfied the first prong of the Brunner test, the inquiry ends: her student loans are excepted from discharge under 11 U.S.C. §§ 523(a)(8) and 1328(a)(2). Defendants are entitled to judgment.”
“First National’s motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) and (3) is hereby denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Demeter’s motion to dismiss is hereby denied.”
“For the foregoing reasons, the Court denies Debtor’s request to supplant or waive the financial management course requirement.”
A show-cause order framed a later waiver issue and was excluded as nonfinal.
Draft for Judge Berger with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Berger, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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