Christopher M. Alston
How Judge Alston rules, drawn from 8 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Alston
Christopher M. Alston has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Washington since July 2015. He is the court’s chief bankruptcy judge and has chambers in Seattle.
Judge Alston's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Alston, 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
For a dismissal or summary judgment motion, provide chambers one copy of all papers when each paper is filed.
“For dispositive motions: parties moving for or opposing dismissal or summary judgment shall provide one chambers’ copy of all papers contemporaneously with each filing.”
Motions
A stay-relief motion seeking waiver of the 14-day stay must state the basis for waiver; otherwise the waiver is removed even if unopposed.
“Motions for relief from stay must state a basis for waiving the 14-day stay under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4001(a)(4) if such waiver is sought in the order. If no basis is provided, the waiver will be stricken from the order, even if the motion is unopposed.”
Conferences
Alston requires contested motions, evidentiary hearings, and trials to be confirmed by filing a Notice to Court of Intent to Argue through ECF; continued matters must be confirmed again.
“Judge Alston requires all contested motions, evidentiary hearings, and trials to be confirmed for argument. Matters are to be confirmed for argument via ECF by filing a ‘Notice to Court of Intent to Argue,’ in accordance with the timeframes set forth in the chart found at Local Rule 9013-1(d)(8). Continued matters must be re-confirmed for argument in the same manner.”
Conferences
Request a telephone appearance by filing a letter at least two days ahead; the judge must approve it in advance.
“Attendance at hearings or other conferences may be telephonic if approved by the Judge at least two days in advance of the hearing/conference. Parties requesting a telephonic appearance must file a letter to the docket at least two days prior to the hearing.”
Trial
Evidentiary hearings and trials may not be continued or stricken without court approval.
“Evidentiary hearings and trials may not be continued or stricken without court approval.”
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).
How Judge Alston decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
The court used proportional allocation when one vehicle loan contained both purchase-money and non-purchase-money components.
“The Court concludes it is appropriate to allocate the prepetition payments in the same manner as in Brodowski.”
Alston declined arbitration when it would fragment and interfere with the bankruptcy court's resolution of a student-loan dischargeability dispute.
“Since the requested arbitration would inherently conflict with the underlying purposes of section 523(a)(8) of the Bankruptcy Code, it is appropriate to decline to enforce the arbitration provision.”
In evaluating forced conversion to chapter 11, he weighed the benefit to creditors and the debtor together rather than treating the debtor's preference as controlling.
“But the Court must consider the benefit to all parties in interest, not just the Debtor.”
After trial, the judge found undue hardship where health problems and a difficult job market constrained the debtor’s ability to repay private student loans; her lack of payments alone did not defeat good faith.
“failure to make any payments and failure to attempt to negotiate repayment are not dispositive of the good faith issue.”
Procedural preferences
Where poor records prevented allocation between business and personal charges, the party seeking a credit did not receive the benefit of uncertainty.
“her failure to keep records that would show which portion of the Grocery Store purchases benefitted the Mint precludes her from receiving a credit for any value allegedly conveyed to the Mint.”
Cautions
Material omissions and false statements that concealed the debtor's financial condition supported denial of discharge.
“The statements were material because they prevented the Trustee and creditors from knowing her true financial condition, thus allowing her to divert estate assets for many months.”
A stay violation did not justify compensatory sanctions for the trustee without proof of damage to the estate caused by the violation.
“the Trustee has not demonstrated the violation caused any damage to the bankruptcy estate.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“ORDERED that the Objection to Claim No. 1 of Kitsap Credit Union shall be and is hereby SUSTAINED;”
“The Court therefore grants the UST’s Motion to Convert. The Debtor’s case will be converted from chapter 7 to chapter 11 under § 706(b) forthwith.”
“the Court DENIES Navient’s Motion to compel arbitration”
After an adversary trial, the court entered judgment for the trustee on constructively fraudulent payments for personal credit-card expenses, rejected the other trial claims, and addressed interest on the judgment.
After an adversary trial, the court denied the debtor a discharge based on disposition of estate property, inadequate financial records, and false statements and omissions.
“the Court concludes that Walsh is entitled to a jury trial on its First, Second, and Fourth Causes of Action, on all six counterclaims asserted by Pine Esker and B-1208, and on Pivot’s counterclaim for a compliance determination. Walsh does not have a right to a jury trial on its Third Cause of Action or the other three counterclaims asserted by Pivot.”
After an adversary trial, the court found that repayment of the identified private student loans would impose undue hardship and directed entry of a separate judgment discharging them.
“The Court therefore denies the Trustee’s request for compensatory sanctions.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Ten sampled matters were terminated and one remained pending. The only express outcome was the Jones claim-objection ruling; the other reviewed timelines contained filing labels without attributable disposition text.
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