Checking filing status of bankruptcy petition, u.s. bankruptcy court clerk's office, bankruptcy records status

To find whether or not your friend actually filed bankruptcy you can either ask your friend for the bankruptcy case number or copy of the filing notice, or alternatively, you can search PACER for the bankruptcy court case in the Western District of Washington. A search costs 8 cents per page and covers all federal courts, including bankruptcy courts.
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/

As for the cost of a simple loan doc, it depends on what you want in that document. It may not be a simple as you originally think. You likely will need a loan agreement and promissory note. But you may also want want to secure the loan against items of your friends personal property. I recommend that you call a local business lawyer, and ask for some assistance in setting up this loan document, especially if it is for a substantial amount.

Just to add to the other answers, you can use the national case party index on pacer so you can search all bankruptcy courts at the same time and make sure you aren't missing anything. The link to that is: http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/.

Also, if you are going to lend your friend money, keep in mind, while he is in the bankruptcy he needs to have court permission to incur debt and you should consult a local attorney experienced in these matters before doing anything. But you can at least look up whether he has filed online on your own.