Total bankruptcy filings in the U.S. for November 2012 decreased 12% compared to the previous year, according to data provided by Epiq Systems. November bankruptcy filings totaled 86,946, down from the 98,534 filings registered in November 2011.

Total commercial filings for November 2012 were 4,199, representing a 19% decrease from the 5,216 filings during the same period in 2011. The 82,747 total non-commercial filings for November represented an 11% drop from the November 2011 non-commercial filing total of 93,318.

While other filing categories experienced decreases, the November 2012 commercial Chapter 11 filings registered increases in year-over and previous-month comparisons. The 664 commercial Chapter 11 filings in November 2012 were a 10% increase over the 601 commercial Chapter 11 filings in November 2011. The November total commercial Chapter 11 filing total also represented a 23% increase over the October 2012 total of 542.

“November continued the trend of declining bankruptcies in the wake of a sustained drop in consumer spending on credit,” said ABI executive director Samuel J. Gerdano. “We are on pace for the lowest total new bankruptcies since before the financial crisis in 2008.”

Total, commercial and consumer bankruptcy filings in November also represented decreases from October. Total November filings were down 14% from the October’s total of 101,307. Commercial filings decreased 13% in November from the October total of 4,800, and non-commercial filings decreased 14% from the October total of 96,507.

ABI has partnered with Epiq Systems in order to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers and members of the news media. Epiq Systems is a provider of managed technology for the global legal profession.