Bankruptcy filing fees and the related costs of a case typically run $1,500 to $2,900 for Chapter 7 and $2,800 to $6,300 for Chapter 13. The court portion is fixed and modest. The counseling courses are small. Attorney fees are where the numbers move, and they are also where the two chapters diverge the most, both in amount and in when you have to pay.
What the Court Charges to File
Every case begins with a fee paid to the court clerk. Chapter 7 is $338 total: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee, and a $15 trustee surcharge.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees2United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule Chapter 13 is $313: a $235 filing fee plus the same $78 administrative fee, with no trustee surcharge.
If you can’t put the full amount down at filing, you can apply to pay in installments. The court can divide the fee into up to four payments spread over 120 days from the filing date, and the option is open in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.3Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee Miss a scheduled installment and your case can be dismissed. A dismissal within the prior year also weakens the automatic stay if you have to refile.
A full waiver of the court fee is available only in Chapter 7. To qualify, your household income has to fall below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you have to be unable to afford even the installment plan.3Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee For 2026 in the contiguous 48 states, that threshold is roughly $23,940 for a single person and $49,500 for a family of four.4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines Chapter 13 has no waiver option, only the installment plan.
The Two Required Courses
Federal law requires every individual filer to complete two courses, and skipping either one can get your case dismissed or your discharge denied.5United States Courts. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses
The first is a pre-filing credit counseling session, which you must finish within the 180 days before you file.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor The second is a debtor education course on personal financial management, which you take after filing but before the court grants your discharge.7United States Department of Justice. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Information
Both have to come from a provider approved by the U.S. Trustee Program, or by the Bankruptcy Administrator if you are in Alabama or North Carolina.5United States Courts. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses Most approved providers charge $10 to $50 per course, so expect $20 to $100 total. Many are offered online or by phone. Approved agencies are required to offer reduced fees or waivers to filers who cannot afford the standard price.
Attorney Fees in Chapter 7
Nearly every Chapter 7 attorney charges a flat fee covering the whole case: preparing and filing the petition, dealing with creditors, and representing you at the 341 Meeting of Creditors. For a routine case, that flat fee generally lands between $1,000 and $2,500. Business assets, disputed exemptions, or complicated secured debts push the number up.
You will almost always be asked for the full fee before filing. The reason is the automatic stay. Once your petition is filed, federal law halts collection activity on debts that existed before filing.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 362 – Automatic Stay An attorney who filed your case and then billed you for the balance would be chasing a pre-petition debt, and the discharge would likely wipe it out anyway. So the money changes hands first. Some attorneys will let you pay over a few weeks before the actual filing date, but the case does not move forward until the fee is covered.
Attorney Fees in Chapter 13
Chapter 13 fees run higher, typically $2,500 to $6,000, because the attorney drafts a repayment plan, handles the confirmation hearing, and stays involved for three to five years. The payment structure is friendlier, though. You usually put down a retainer of a few hundred dollars before filing, and the rest is folded into your repayment plan as an administrative expense. The Chapter 13 trustee pays your attorney in monthly installments out of your plan payments. That lets you file and get the stay in place without having the full fee in hand.
Many districts set a “no-look” fee, a presumptively reasonable amount for a routine case that gets approved without detailed billing. Common no-look amounts sit in the $3,500 to $5,000 range, though they vary by court. An attorney taking on a more complex matter can ask for more by filing a detailed fee application.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 330 – Compensation of Officers
Extra Legal Costs During the Plan
The initial fee covers standard services. A three-to-five-year plan rarely stays standard. If you lose a job, your income drops, or your expenses change, your attorney may need to prepare and defend a plan modification. If a creditor files a motion, you need a response. These post-confirmation services are billed separately, usually hourly, and need court approval. If your situation is likely to shift, budget a cushion beyond the initial fee range.
If You Can’t Afford an Attorney
You have the legal right to file either chapter on your own. The courts call it filing pro se.10United States Courts. Filing Without an Attorney It cuts out the single largest cost. For a Chapter 7 filer paying only the court fee and the two courses, the total out-of-pocket can be as low as $360 to $440.
The risk is real. The forms are dense, the rules are unforgiving, and court staff and judges are prohibited from giving you legal advice.10United States Courts. Filing Without an Attorney A mistake on your exemption schedules can cost you property. A miscalculation on the means test can get the case dismissed. A missed deadline can forfeit the discharge. Pro se is most workable for a straightforward Chapter 7 with no real property, no business debts, and income clearly below the state median. Chapter 13 is much harder to run alone because the plan itself requires legal drafting and years of compliance.
If your case is too complicated for pro se but a private attorney is out of reach, check local legal aid organizations. Many keep panels of attorneys who take bankruptcy cases at reduced or deferred fees. Some law school clinics handle Chapter 7 filings for qualifying filers at no cost.
One other note on cost before you commit to Chapter 7: the means test can push you into Chapter 13. If your current monthly income is above the state median for your household size, the court applies a formula to see whether a Chapter 7 would be considered abusive.11United States Courts. Chapter 7 – Bankruptcy Basics Failing it generally redirects you to Chapter 13, which costs more in attorney fees. Some attorneys include the means test analysis in their flat fee; others charge separately when income is irregular or self-employment is involved. Ask upfront what happens to your fee if you end up filing a different chapter than you planned.
Other Costs That May Come Up
- Bankruptcy petition preparers. If you file pro se but want help with the paperwork, a non-attorney preparer can assist for a fee. Federal law requires preparers to disclose their charges and prohibits them from giving legal advice, and courts can disallow fees that exceed the value of the services.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 110 – Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
- Property appraisals. If you own real estate, you may need a professional appraisal to establish current market value for your schedules. Single-family home appraisals typically run $575 to $1,300.
- Case conversion. Converting a Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 costs $10. Converting a Chapter 12 to Chapter 7 costs $45.2United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
- Documents. You will need pay stubs for the 60 days before filing and recent tax returns. Gathering them is usually free. If you have unfiled returns, a tax preparer’s fee becomes part of your bankruptcy budget.
Court fees are fixed and predictable. Courses are small. Attorney fees carry the real variation, and the chapter you file controls how much of that money has to be on the table before anything starts.