The 'Doctrine of Necessity'

Last month, we explained that a bankruptcy court lacks "either the statutory or equitable power to authorize" the debtor's payment of pre-bankruptcy nonpriority unsecured claims, as noted in <i>Capital Factors, Inc. v. Kmart Corp. (In re Kmart Corp.)</i> We explained that the clear, no-nonsense opinions of the district court and the Court of Appeals reversed four bankruptcy court orders, and we explained why the Seventh Circuit's <i>Kmart</i> decision is noteworthy. We went on to discuss the "Doctrine of Necessity" (the Doctrine), a current justification used by some bankrtupcy courts to permit the post-petition payment of certain assertedly "essential" pre-petition claims in Chapter 11 reoganized cases. This month, we discuss Principal Judicial Precedents, Decisions Favorable to the Doctrine, Cases Rejecting the Doctrine, and The Rebirth of the "Doctrine of Necessity."

35 minute read April 26, 2004 at 10:08 AM
By
Michael L. Cook And William R. Fabrizio
The 'Doctrine of Necessity'

Last month, we explained that a bankruptcy court lacks “either the statutory or equitable power to authorize” the debtor's payment of pre-bankruptcy nonpriority unsecured claims, as noted in Capital Factors, Inc. v.

This premium content is locked for The Bankruptcy Strategist subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN The Bankruptcy Strategist

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Law firms are shifting toward financing strategies that allow them to invest in growth while increasing flexibility, liquidity and long-term planning discipline. The conversation is no longer simply about acquiring equipment. It is about building a financial structure that supports continuous operational growth.

July 02, 2026

Why advanced AI will change legal practice without making lawyers obsolete.The future value of lawyers will come less from generating first drafts and more from knowing how to choose, feed, test and deploy professional systems in a way that serves the client’s strategy.

June 30, 2026

Companies are no longer judging leaders on what they have already done. They are judging them on whether they can lead what is coming next. And what is coming next demands exactly the quality that defined the Oregon Trail generation: the ability to navigate genuine transformation, not just manage through disruption.

June 30, 2026