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 Michigan, as in other states, when a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case is filed, the United States Bankruptcy Trustee appoints an interim trustee to oversee the case. This interim trustee is tasked with managing the debtor's assets and facilitating the bankruptcy process. During the Section 341(a) meeting of creditors, the creditors have the opportunity to elect a different trustee to serve as the permanent trustee. However, if the creditors do not exercise this right, the interim trustee automatically becomes the permanent trustee. The trustee will continue to serve in this capacity until the bankruptcy case is concluded. It is generally not possible for a debtor to request a change of trustee. An exception to this rule exists if there is a conflict of interest, such as a prior relationship between the debtor and the trustee, which the bankruptcy court recognizes as substantial enough to disqualify the trustee from the case.