There are two parts of the expense of filing a bankruptcy case, (1) the filing fee you pay to the Bankruptcy Court and (2) the fee you pay your attorney for the work.

The filing fees charged by the Bankruptcy Court are periodically raised, but right now they are:
Chapter 7 $200
Chapter 9 $330
Chapter 11 $830
Chapter 12 $230
Chapter 13 $185
And what about the attorney's fees? Well (typical lawyer answer), that depends. It depends on how much work we anticipate will be required in your case. For a simple Chapter 7 for an individual, our attorney's fees begin at $495.00. However, clients' situations differ so wildly, that it is simply impossible to quote fees in advance of meeting with you. After the consultation we will quote you a fee and describe what we think needs to be done in your case. And, since the initial consultation is free, it doesn't cost you anything to find out what the attorney's fees would be in your case. This firm has been practicing Bankruptcy Law since 1986. The vast majority our work is filing bankruptcy cases for debtors, and we wouldn't be able to sustain our practice if we weren't competitive with other law firms in our fee structure. You are welcome to shop around for fees after our consultation. But we also recommend that you ask other lawyers about our reputation and whether or not we do quality work; we think you will be pleased at the response.

What about paralegals? You may have seen their advertisements. There is no question you can have a bankruptcy done cheaply by a paralegal, but what are you getting and what is a paralegal? "Paralegal" doesn't mean very much. Anyone can call himself or herself a "paralegal" -- no qualifications are necessary. It's a little like "financial advisor" -- anyone with enough money to buy business cards can call himself or herself a "financial advisor." You really are taking a chance if you have a "paralegal" type up some bankruptcy papers for you. Why?Above all things the word "paralegal" tells you one thing -- that person is not a lawyer. And that person is not permitted to give you any legal advice.

Did you know...

  • The bankruptcy courts have ruled that a "paralegal" (technical phrase "petition preparer") is allowed to type only. YOU must fill in all the legal forms, the preparer is only a typing service.
  • Get this: the petition preparer is not permitted to correct any errors they think they detect in your forms: they must type in your mistake as you present it.
  • Petition prepares are permitted to charge for typing your papers only $60.00 for that is the value of simple typing alone.
A bankruptcy attorney does so much more for you. The Bankruptcy Code is 474 pages of difficult, condensed law. The Bankruptcy Rules are another 256 pages. Do you think a petition preparer has read or understands very much of that? Bankruptcy law is like chess. To beginners watching children play chess in the park, chess looks so simple and straightforward. If you really understand what is going on, what appears simple may be very complicated and needs to be delicately. As simple a matter as when to file your papers can make much more difference than the attorney's fees plus the filing fee. A bankruptcy case can be a very tricky minefield and you may be about to walk through it. Of course, even a fool can occasionally walk straight through a minefield and come out no worse for the experience, but you really should have an experienced and trained guide to take you through what could be one of the most momentous financial activities you will ever be involved with. Even if it is not this law firm -- get a lawyer! Remember, you get what you pay for, or more exactly, you don't get what you don't pay for. Let the buyer beware!
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