ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The America Bankruptcy Institute
discovered total filings last year dropped by 14 percent compared to 2011's
figure.

According to data provided by Epiq Systems, last year's
bankruptcy figure represented the lowest since the start of the recent
recession, coming in at 1,185,328 nationwide for the calendar year. During
2011, the U.S. total was 1,379,658 filings.

Officials noted the 1,127,540 total noncommercial filings
during 2012 represented a 14-percent drop from the noncommercial filing total
of 1,305,243 during 2011.

Total commercial filings in 2012 were 57,788, a 22-percent decline
from the 74,415 filings during in 2011.

Officials indicated Chapter 11 filings also fell in 2012, as
the 7,760 filings represented a 10-percent decrease from the 8,658 Chapter 11
filings in 2011.

"The 2012 filings represent the lowest total since the
financial crisis in 2008," ABI executive director Samuel Gerdano said.

"With low interest rates, reduced consumer spending and
continued deleveraging by households, bankruptcy filings will likely continue
their decline in 2013," Gerdano continued.

The 75,556 total bankruptcy filings for the month of
December represented a 22-percent decrease compared to the 96,527 filings in
December 2011. The 71,817 total noncommercial filings for December represented
a 21 percent drop from the December 2011 noncommercial filing total of 90,958.

Total commercial filings for December of 2012 were 3,739,
representing a 33-percent decrease from the 5,569 filings during the same
period in 2011.

Chapter 11 filings registered a 25-percent drop, as the 742 Chapter
11 filings in December 2011 fell to 559 in December 2012.

Average total filings per day in December 2012 were 2,437, a
22-percent decrease from the 3,114 total daily filings in December 2011.

The average nationwide per capita bankruptcy filing rate for
calendar year 2012 decreased to 3.83 (total filings per 1,000 per population)
from the 4.46 rate during calendar year 2011.

States with the highest per capita filing rate (total
filings per 1,000 population) through 2012 were:

1. Tennessee (6.88)
2. Nevada (6.43)
3. Georgia (6.43)
4. Alabama (5.84)
5. Utah (5.76)

ABI partnered with Epiq Systems, a leading provider of
managed technology for the global legal profession, in order to provide the
most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers and members of
the news media.


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