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 Connecticut, as in other states, when a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is filed, the United States Bankruptcy Trustee appoints an interim trustee to manage the case initially. This interim trustee is responsible for liquidating the debtor's non-exempt assets and distributing the proceeds to creditors. During the Section 341(a) meeting of creditors, the creditors have the opportunity to elect a different trustee, but if they do not, the interim trustee becomes the permanent trustee by default. The trustee will then continue to serve until the bankruptcy case is concluded. It is not typically possible for a debtor to request a change of trustee. However, if there is a conflict of interest, such as a prior relationship between the debtor and the trustee that could affect the impartiality of the trustee, the debtor may raise this issue with the bankruptcy court. If the court recognizes the conflict as significant, it may disqualify the trustee and appoint a new one. The specifics of this process are governed by federal bankruptcy law, as bankruptcy is a federal legal proceeding, and the local rules of the bankruptcy court in Connecticut.