Bankruptcy filings in Hawaii fell in April for the 14th consecutive month, according to data released today by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The 254 cases filed in April was down 25.7 percent from the 342 cases filed the same month a year earlier, the court reported. Bankruptcy filings have been trending lower since averaging 330 a month during the recent peak in 2010.

Bankruptcy filings averaged 239 a month during for the first four months of the year, down from an average of 277 a month in 2011.

Bankruptcies fell in all counties. In Honolulu County the number of cases fell to 157 in April, a 22.7 percent drop froom 203 the same month last year.

Filings fell to 38 in Maui County, a 44.9 percent decline from 69 filings in April 2011. In Hawaii County filings fell 4.3 percent to 45 cases and in Kauai County they fell 39.1 percent to 14 cases.