The court filing fee
As of October 2026, the fee to open a bankruptcy case is:
- Chapter 7: $338. That's a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee, and a $15 trustee surcharge.
- Chapter 13: $313. That's a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.
The fee is the same in every court in the country. A married couple filing one joint case pays it once. It's due when the petition is filed, unless the court approves one of the two alternatives below.
Paying in installments
Both chapters allow the fee to be paid over time. The request goes on Official Form 103A, filed with the petition. The rules:
- No more than four installments.
- The last one is due within 120 days of filing.
- A judge can stretch that to 180 days for a good reason.
The form asks you to propose the amounts and dates. The judge can approve your schedule or set a different one. A missed installment can get the case dismissed, and the discharge isn't entered until the fee is paid in full.
The fee waiver
Chapter 7 has a fee waiver. Chapter 13 doesn't. The request goes on Official Form 103B, and a judge can grant it when two things are true:
- Household income is below 150% of the federal poverty guideline for a household that size.
- The filer can't afford to pay the fee even in installments.
The form asks for income, expenses, and what you own, and the judge decides from that. The answer can be yes, no, or an order to pay in installments instead. Some judges decide on the paperwork and some hold a short hearing.
Where to find the current numbers: the poverty guidelines change every January, and the court fee schedule changes every few years. The U.S. Courts website posts both the fee schedule and the poverty figures used for the waiver.
The two required courses
Every individual filer takes two courses: credit counseling before filing and debtor education after. Both are offered online and by phone by private providers approved by the U.S. Trustee Program.
Providers set their own prices. Most charge somewhere between $10 and $50 per course. Approved providers have to offer the course to people who can't afford it, so each one has a fee waiver or reduced-fee policy. The Department of Justice website lists approved providers by state.
Costs that show up later
- Printing and postage. A full set of forms runs 50 to 70 pages, and some courts want more than one copy.
- Amendments. Courts charge a fee for certain changes after filing, such as adding a creditor who was left off.
- Chapter 13 trustee fee. The trustee keeps a percentage of every plan payment, up to 10%. It's part of the monthly payment, not a separate bill.
- Copies of records. Tax transcripts from the IRS are free. So are credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, which many filers use to build their list of creditors.
Attorney fees
An attorney is the largest cost for most people who hire one, and the price depends heavily on the region and the chapter. Chapter 7 attorneys usually charge a flat fee up front. Chapter 13 attorneys often collect part of their fee through the plan. Legal aid organizations and bankruptcy clinics take some cases for free, based on income.
What BK Prepare costs
Nothing. The official forms are free to download from the courts, and so is the list BK Prepare builds for you.
For when each of these costs comes due, see The filing process, step by step.