This question is asked frequently by clients and prospective clients. The short answer is “it depends”. Legally, a bankruptcy can remain on a person’s credit report for 10 years, however, as a practical matter, credit reporting services frequently remove bankruptcies after 7 years which is the general rule that is followed in the credit reporting industry for removal of bad credit information from credit reports.
It is good practice for credit reports to be regularly reviewed, at least annually, to make sure that the credit reporting service is following the law concerning removal of negative information from the credit report.