Bankruptcy / Washington / Trustees

Washington Bankruptcy Trustees

Written by Ben Tejes
Updated Oct 11th, 2023
This article is for informational purposes only. Ascend does not provide legal advice, and are not attorneys. If you'd like to speak with a bankruptcy attorney that serves your city, you can speak with one in a free consultation.

You are deciding whether to file bankruptcy and may have heard about working with a bankruptcy trustee in Washington. The primary role of the trustee is to be a “watchdog” for the bankruptcy process. In fact, the Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustees helped manage all of the 7,017 bankruptcy filings in Washington for the year ending June 30, 2021.

The trustee’s responsibilities include:

  1. Appointing and supervising private trustees.
  2. Taking legal action to prevent fraud and abuse.
  3. Referring matters for criminal investigation when appropriate.
  4. Ensuring bankruptcy process is administered and that fees are appropriate.
  5. Reviewing disclosure statements.
  6. Advocating matters of bankruptcy code.

We will cover Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustees with contact information in Washington as those are the most common for personal bankruptcies. 

What Are The Washington Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee Fees?

One of the highest costs in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Washington is the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee fees. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is often a 3 or 5-year plan. So, there are many administrative tasks for the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee.

Here’s the breakdown of Washington Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee fees: 5.4% - 8.1%. Just as a reference, this can result in thousands of dollars in trustee fees. Our Chapter 13 calculator helps estimate what that fee would be.

You can take our all-in bankruptcy cost calculator below to estimate your Chapter 13 plan payment, including the Chapter 13 trustee fees.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee(s) Washington

Below are the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustees in Washington broken out by bankruptcy district. You can also find the list here. Please note that the US Trustee program does not administer bankruptcy estates in North Carolina and Alabama.

DistrictNamePhone
EasternDaniel H. Brunner(509) 747-8481
WesternMichael G. Malaier(253) 572-6600
WesternJason Wilson-Aguilar(206) 624-5124

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees Washington

Below are the Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees in Washington broken out by bankruptcy district. You can also find the list here

DistrictNamePhone
EasternMatthew J. Anderton(509) 469-6648
EasternJohn D. Munding(509) 624-6464
EasternKevin D. O'Rourke(509) 624-0159
WesternRonald G. Brown(206) 342-7850
WesternBrian Lowell Budsberg(360) 584-9093
WesternVirginia A. Burdette(206) 441-0203
WesternDennis L. Burman(360) 657-3332
WesternCharles D. Carlson(503)-703-0744
WesternTerrence J. Donahue(253) 620-2519
WesternKathryn A. Ellis(206) 682-5002
WesternRussell D. Garrett(360) 567-3911
WesternNancy L. James(425) 485-5541
WesternMichael P. Klein(206) 842-3638
WesternJohn S. Peterson(360) 626-4392
WesternDonald A. Thacker(360) 841-7093
WesternMark D. Waldron(253) 565-5800
WesternEdmund J. Wood(206) 623-4382