U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina
4 judges profiled from their own signed orders: how each rules on motions, with the orders quoted. Court-wide standing orders ↓
Ashley Austin Edwards
Bankruptcy judge
George R. Hodges
Bankruptcy judge
Laura T. Beyer
Bankruptcy judge
J. Craig WhitleyRetired 2024
Bankruptcy judge
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026). Courts revise these, so confirm the current version before you file. The court's local rules ↗
- Administrative Order No. 1110 Amending Local Rules to Address Various Chapter 13 Matters ↗
- Administrative Order No. 1088: Procedures for Requesting, Filing, and Management of Highly Sensitive Documents ↗
Filing
For Chapter 13 matters from May 2026, the presumptive base fee for debtor’s counsel is capped at $7,000 absent another court order.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED as follows, effective May 1, 2026: Local Rule 2016-2(c)(1)(A), Part 1 of Appendix D of the Local Rules, and Local Form 3 are revised to state that the maximum presumptive base fee for debtor’s attorneys in a Chapter 13 case is $7,000 and no base fee shall exceed $7,000 unless the court orders otherwise;”
Filing
The presumptive non-base fee for substitute counsel to a Chapter 13 debtor is $800.
“the presumptive non-base fee for a debtor’s substitute legal counsel is increased to $800;”
Sealing
File and serve a highly sensitive document in paper or on secure electronic media under the court’s procedure.
“HSDs will be filed and served in paper form (or, if digital media, on a secure electronic device, such as a flash drive), in accordance with this Order and the HSD Guidance,”
Sealing
A request for highly sensitive document treatment must include a certification of good-faith belief that the material meets the definition.
“A request for HSD designation must be accompanied by a certification of the movant’s good-faith belief that the material meets the HSD definition.”