An emergency bankruptcy filing is a streamlined process used in situations where the filer urgently needs to stop a creditor from collecting on a debt. It is often referred to as a skeleton bankruptcy filing because it is so simplified.
The filer receives the same benefits of the automatic stay that he or she would receive under a normal bankruptcy case, which puts an immediate halt to all collection activity. The emergency filing gives the same protection after completing certain online forms and submitting the remaining required documents later.