A creditor matrix contains each creditor's name and mailing address.  This information is used for noticing and also for claims information when applicable.

In order to ensure that the cases you file can be properly read by our scanners, we ask that you observe the following guidelines.

Paper Format

1. Lists must be typed in Arial, Times New Roman or Courier typeface in size 10 at a minimum.
2. The name and address of each creditor cannot be more than 5 lines.  If a record is more that 5 lines, the 6th line will be combined with line 5 and the 7th or 8th lines will be truncated.
3. Each line may contain no more than 40 characters including blanks.
4. Names and addresses should be left justified.
5. Spaces in the first position of a line will cause an exception report for that creditor record.
6. Special characters such as ~, ½, or  ^ will cause problems.  The # and & characters have not been reported to cause errors.
7. Account numbers should be left off and "attention" lines should be placed on the second line of the name/address.
8. City, state, and ZIP code must be on the last line.
9. Nine digit ZIP codes must be typed with a hyphen separating the two groups of digits.
10. All states must be two-letter abbreviations.
11. Each creditor must be separated by at least one blank line.
12. Do not include page numbers, headers, footers, etc.
13. Lists must be typed so that no letters are closer than 1/2 inch from any edge of the paper.
14. DO NOT include the Debtor, Joint Debtor, Attorney for the Debtor(s). They will be retrieved automatically by the computer for noticing.
15. DO INCLUDE the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for noticing

NOTE: If filed electronically, the matrix needs to be in a .txt format.

Sample Creditor List

First National Bank of Beaumont
P.O. Box 3391
Beaumont, TX 77704

George S. Bus Export Inc.
1400 Exchange Building
Buffalo, NY 10984

Hansberry's Appliance
Parts Division
400 9th Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98109

Things to Avoid

Although the court is using sophisticated equipment and software to ensure accuracy in creditor list readings, certain problems can still occur. By following these guidelines, the court will avoid delays or additional effort in mailing notices.

The following problems can prevent your lists from being read by the optical scanner, requiring you to resubmit your creditor list in an acceptable form.

• Extra marks on the list - such as letterhead, dates, debtor name, coffee stains, handwritten marks.
• Non-standard paper such half-sized paper, or colored (such as yellow) paper.
• Poor quality type caused by submitting a photocopy.
• Unreadable type faces or print styles such as proportionally-spaced fonts, dot-matrix printing, or exotic fonts (such as Old English or script). Use only the fonts listed above.
• Misaligned lists.
• Stray marks should be avoided. Do not type lines, debtor name, page numbers, or anything else on the front of a creditor list. Any identifying marks you choose to add can be typed on the back of the list.
• Upper case only (all capital letters) should be avoided. Type in upper and lower case as you would on a letter.
• Zip Code must be on the last line. Nine digit zip codes should be typed with a hyphen separating the two groups of digits. Do NOT type attention lines or account numbers on the last line; put these on the second line of the name/address if needed. (The zip code must be at the end for the zip code sorting equipment to find it.)