G. Michael Halfenger
How Judge Halfenger rules, drawn from 25 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Halfenger
G. Michael Halfenger is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He joined the court in January 2013 and has issued written decisions in bankruptcy cases before that court.
Judge Halfenger's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Halfenger, 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.
- Contact with the Court ↗
- Affidavits of Default ↗
- Chapter 13 Calendar ↗
- Requests to Adjourn or Change a Hearing Date ↗
- Canceling or Rescheduling Hearings ↗
- Motions to Continue or Impose the Automatic Stay under Section 362(c)(3) or (4) ↗
- Motions Requesting Expedited Relief ↗
- Trial and Evidentiary Procedures in the Absence of a Governing Order ↗
- Proposed Orders Submitted to the Court ↗
- Preset Procedure to Schedule Hearings on Chapter 13 Dismissal Motions ↗
- Preset Procedure to Schedule Hearings on Chapter 13 Trustee Objections to Confirmation ↗
- Sample Notice of Hearing for Objections to Motions to Dismiss ↗
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Communicate with the court in writing generally; call chambers for scheduling assistance.
“In general, parties and their lawyer should communicate with the court in”
Filing
A proposed order resolving a motion must state whether the motion is granted, denied, or withdrawn.
“All proposed orders that are submitted to the court to resolve motions must state”
Motions
For a motion to continue or impose the stay under § 362(c)(3) or (4), ask chambers for a hearing date before filing and file supporting declarations or affidavits with the motion.
“Parties should contact chambers to request a hearing date before filing the”
Motions
File and serve a separate motion to shorten notice before or with the underlying motion.
“Requests to shorten the notice period should be made by separate motion filed”
Conferences
A telephone request to reschedule a hearing must include all interested parties on the call.
“inquire about rescheduling the hearing only if they have all interested parties on”
Conferences
File a written, specific request to reschedule most hearings at least 24 hours before the hearing.
“filed using the ECF system at least 24 hours before the hearing.”
Conferences
Debtor counsel must schedule the hearing when objecting to a Chapter 13 trustee’s dismissal motion.
“Counsel for the Debtor is responsible for scheduling a hearing when filing”
Conferences
Only the Chapter 13 trustee may use the self-scheduling procedure for objections to confirmation.
“NOTICE: This procedure ONLY APPLIES to chapter 13 trustees and ONLY chapter 13”
Trial
Absent another order, file a pretrial report at least two days before trial or an evidentiary hearing.
“Unless ordered otherwise, each party should file a pretrial report no less than”
Trial
File exhibit copies and a witness list with the court and provide them to participating parties at least two business days before trial or an evidentiary hearing.
“Copies of all exhibits and a witness list should be filed with the court and”
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 Halfenger decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
Modification was appropriate where the nonbankruptcy court was better suited to try state-law claims and this court retained the exclusive dischargeability question.
“Given all this, equity favors modifying the discharge injunction to allow the parties to try Lee’s claims where she first raised them, where all of the relevant facts occurred, and in a court most suited to interpret and apply the nonbankruptcy law in question.”
Halfenger allowed overlapping personal-injury claims to proceed in district court while preserving the bankruptcy court's later dischargeability determination.
“There is cause to modify the §362(a) stay to allow the district court to finally adjudicate Johnson’s civil action against the debtor.”
He declined issue preclusion where a prior divorce proceeding did not fairly resolve a nonparty creditor's claim against the debtor.
“the court concludes that the divorce judgment does not preclude Landis from contesting in this bankruptcy case the validity or amount of Hink’s claim based on funds she provided for construction of the mother-in-law addition in Landis’s former marital residence.”
Procedural preferences
A derivative-standing request should identify the proposed estate claims through a complaint that can be assessed under the pleading standard.
“To determine whether a pleading would survive a motion to dismiss, it is necessary to read the pleading.”
Cautions
An incomplete or inaccurate mortgage-account response can support an award of the debtors' resulting attorney fees and expenses.
“The court will also afford the debtors an opportunity to request any additional attorney’s fees and expenses resulting from Flagstar’s incomplete and inaccurate Rule 3002.1(g) statement.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“IT IS ORDERED that the discharge injunction is modified to allow Lee’s California litigation against Cho to continue through the entry of a final judgment on all of her now-pending claims and the conclusion of any appeal from (or other direct review of) that judgment; her nondischargeability proceeding in this court is stayed pending the conclusion of that litigation.”
The court set further briefing on a proposed plan modification but did not finally resolve the request.
The court clarified the procedure for disputing a final-cure response but did not adjudicate a motion.
“Greenpoint Asset Management II, LLC’s motion to reconsider the March 18, 2024 order is denied.”
“Greenpoint Asset Management II, LLC’s case is dismissed effective as of the date of the entry of this opinion and order.”
“The debtor’s motion is denied.”
“the State’s motion to reopen this case is denied”
“alternatively, the motion for access is denied on its merits.”
“December 17, 2024 hearing, is overruled.”
“The debtors’ request for an award of attorney’s fees and costs pursuant to Rule 3002.1(i)(2) is granted.”
“defendant O’Keefe’s request to amend his answer to plead self-defense is granted”
“plaintiff Horton is entitled to no relief in this adversary proceeding”
“the debtor-defendant’s motion for summary judgment is DENIED.”
“Hink’s motion for summary judgment is denied.”
“The debtors’ motion for an award of fees and costs is denied.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The five early-service matters were terminated. The open Cho matters supplied one express modification of the discharge injunction.
Draft for Judge Halfenger with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Halfenger, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
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