How much a bankruptcy lawyer costs depends mainly on which chapter you file. A straightforward Chapter 7 case usually runs $1,000 to $2,500 in attorney fees, and a Chapter 13 case runs $2,500 to $6,000. Add a $338 court filing fee for Chapter 7 or $313 for Chapter 13, plus roughly $40 to $100 for the two required financial courses, and you have the full picture.
Chapter 7 Attorney Fees
Most consumer bankruptcy attorneys charge a flat fee that covers the standard work: reviewing your finances, preparing the petition and schedules, filing everything, and attending the creditors’ meeting. A simple Chapter 7 case, meaning steady income, few assets, and no unusual complications, lands on the lower end of the $1,000 to $2,500 range.
Cases pushing toward the top of that range, or above it, usually involve above-median income that requires a detailed means test, business assets, pending lawsuits, or property that may not be fully exempt.
Chapter 13 Attorney Fees
Chapter 13 costs more because the attorney does more. Your lawyer drafts a repayment plan, negotiates with creditors, attends a confirmation hearing, and may need to modify the plan over its three-to-five-year life. Fees typically fall between $2,500 and $6,000, with the exact number driven heavily by the judicial district and the complexity of your case.
A business owner whose Chapter 13 plan has to account for commercial debts and operating expenses will pay more than a wage earner with a simple repayment structure. If the plan has to be amended later because your income changes or a creditor objects, expect additional fees unless the work falls within your original agreement.
What Makes Your Fee Higher or Lower
Geography matters more than most people expect. Attorneys in major metro areas charge noticeably more than those in smaller cities, driven by higher overhead and local market rates. The same Chapter 7 case might cost $1,800 in one city and $1,200 in another.
The complexity of your finances is the other big variable. A single filer with a regular paycheck and a few credit cards is a routine case. Any of the following pushes the fee up:
- Above-median income, which requires a full means test calculation and carries a higher risk of objection from the U.S. Trustee.
- Owning real property, because the attorney has to analyze equity, exemptions, and whether a reaffirmation agreement or lien strip is appropriate.
- Business ownership, even a small side business, which adds schedules, asset valuations, and preference analysis.
- Active IRS issues or pending lawsuits, which create extra work and sometimes require coordination with other attorneys.
A more experienced attorney may charge a premium, but that expertise often means fewer surprises. A missed exemption or improperly scheduled asset can cost you property worth far more than the fee difference.
How You Actually Pay the Lawyer
Chapter 7: Paid in Full Before Filing
Chapter 7 attorneys almost always require the entire fee before they file. Once the petition is filed, any unpaid attorney fee becomes a pre-petition debt that could be wiped out by the same discharge the lawyer is working to get you. No attorney wants their own bill eliminated as part of the outcome.
Zero-Down Chapter 7 Arrangements
Some attorneys offer “zero-down” Chapter 7 filings through a bifurcated fee agreement. You sign a limited pre-petition retainer covering the bare minimum needed to file, sometimes for nothing upfront. The attorney files a skeletal petition. After filing, you sign a separate post-petition agreement for the remaining work, and because that second agreement is created after filing, those fees can’t be discharged.
These arrangements are legitimate but scrutinized. Before signing, make sure you understand what services are included at each stage and what the total will be.
Chapter 13: Paid Through the Plan
Chapter 13 is more flexible. You typically pay a portion of the attorney fee before filing, and the balance is folded into your repayment plan. The Chapter 13 trustee then pays your attorney out of your monthly plan payments over three to five years. That structure makes Chapter 13 easier to start, since you don’t need the whole fee saved up before getting relief.
Court Oversight of What You’re Charged
Bankruptcy is one of the few areas of law where a judge can review what your attorney charged and order a refund if the fee was unreasonable. Every attorney representing a bankruptcy debtor must file a disclosure statement with the court showing exactly what they were paid or promised. If the court finds the compensation exceeds the reasonable value of the services, it can cancel the agreement or order the excess returned.
In Chapter 13, many courts set a “no-look” fee, a presumptive amount the court has determined is reasonable for a standard case in that district. Attorneys who charge at or below the no-look amount get approval without a detailed billing breakdown; anyone charging more has to file an itemized application. These no-look fees vary by district but commonly fall in the $3,000 to $5,000 range.
The Other Costs You Can’t Skip
Filing Fees
The court filing fee is $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13. These amounts are set by federal law and apply in every bankruptcy court in the country.
If you can’t pay the full amount upfront, you can apply to pay in installments, up to four payments completed within 120 days of filing. The court can extend that to 180 days for cause. One catch: until the filing fee is fully paid, no one on your case, including your attorney, can be paid.
Chapter 7 filers whose household income falls below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, and who cannot afford installments, may qualify for a complete fee waiver. The waiver is not available in Chapter 13.
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education
Federal law requires every individual filer to complete two separate courses from providers approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. Credit counseling comes before you file; debtor education comes after filing but before your debts are discharged. Skipping either one can get your case dismissed or your discharge denied.
Most approved providers offer the courses online for about $20 to $50 each. Some offer reduced rates or free courses for filers who can show financial hardship.
Lower-Cost Alternatives
If a full-service bankruptcy attorney is out of reach, you have options, each with real trade-offs.
Legal aid and pro bono programs. Legal aid organizations in most areas offer free bankruptcy representation to low-income filers, typically requiring household income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Demand usually exceeds supply, so expect a waiting list. Some local bar associations also run pro bono panels.
Bankruptcy petition preparers. A petition preparer is a non-attorney who types your forms based on information you provide. They cannot give legal advice of any kind, cannot tell you which chapter to file, and cannot represent you if a creditor objects. Courts cap their fees, often around $150. For a very simple Chapter 7, that may be enough. For anything involving property, above-median income, or mixed debt types, the savings can easily be wiped out by what you lose in the case.
Filing on your own. You have the right to file pro se, and the court will accept your petition. Bankruptcy courts strongly recommend against it. The paperwork is extensive, the rules on exemptions and means testing are genuinely complicated, and mistakes can cost you assets, your case, or your discharge. If you’re going this route, at least look at your local bankruptcy court’s self-help resources and consider a paid consultation before filing.
Total Cost at a Glance
For a typical Chapter 7, budget roughly $1,400 to $2,900: $1,000 to $2,500 in attorney fees, $338 in filing fees, and $40 to $100 for the two required courses. For Chapter 13, budget about $2,900 to $6,400: $2,500 to $6,000 in attorney fees, $313 in filing fees, and the same course costs. In Chapter 13, most of the attorney fee gets paid through your plan rather than out of pocket before filing.
If the numbers still feel out of reach, the filing fee installment option, the Chapter 7 fee waiver for low-income filers, and legal aid programs exist to keep bankruptcy accessible when the point of filing is a fresh start you can actually afford to reach.