The United States Bankruptcy Trustee appoints an interim trustee upon the filing of a chapter 7 case. Unless the creditors exercise their right to elect a different permanent trustee at the Section 341(a) meeting of creditors, the interim trustee automatically becomes the permanent trustee. Then the permanent trustee serves as trustee until the case is closed.

You generally can not request a different trustee—except in the rare situation in which you have a previous relationship with the trustee that the bankruptcy court would recognize as a disqualifying conflict of interest.

In Alabama, as in other states, when a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is filed, the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee Program, which is part of the Department of Justice, appoints an interim trustee to administer the case. This interim trustee becomes the permanent trustee unless the creditors decide to elect someone else during the Section 341(a) meeting of creditors, which is a mandatory meeting where debtors are questioned under oath by creditors, trustees, and attorneys. The trustee's role is to manage the bankruptcy estate, liquidate non-exempt assets, and distribute the proceeds to creditors. It is not common for debtors to request a change of trustee, and such requests are typically only granted if there is a substantial conflict of interest, such as a prior relationship between the debtor and the trustee that could affect the impartial administration of the estate. The bankruptcy court has the authority to determine if a conflict of interest warrants the appointment of a different trustee.