Anyone who wants to bother to check the bankruptcy court files could see your file, but I never have had anyone tell me that this was a problem. All of your creditors will be notified and the rules require that several state and local government entities (the IRS, SC/NC Department of Revenue) be notified, I assume to give them one last chance to not let you slip through the cracks, BUT it also protects you because you would want any problems with them to be dealt with in the bankruptcy instead of surprising you later when you have started over.
Your creditors and anyone else who knows about the bankruptcy can tell their people. It is not illegal. However, normally, it is not exciting news that you have filed bankruptcy. I have been at the grocery store and seen five of my former clients in there at the same time. Not to belittle the seriousness of it, but it’s just not sexy news that someone has filed bankruptcy, in most circles.
