“I’m gonna file bankruptcy, are my parents gonna find out?”

Well, it depends on whether or not your parents have a financial stake in your bankruptcy. Many people have their parents cosign their auto, home, or student loan obligations, and so the parents become what’s called a codebtor.

Co debtors are holders of claims against you, and therefore they have a right to be noticed in the event you file bankruptcy, and intentionally excluding them from the creditor list could get you into trouble remotely, but potentially, in your bankruptcy case.

So you have to expect that if your parents have cosigned a loan for you, they will find out about your bankruptcy.