Summary: Chapter 7 bankruptcy typically costs $2,000 to $4,500 total: a $338 court filing fee, $1,500 to $4,000 in attorney fees, and about $50 to $100 for the two required courses. The fee is usually due before filing, because debts owed at filing, including unpaid attorney fees, can be discharged. Filers under 150 percent of the poverty guidelines can get the filing fee waived; others can pay in installments. Legal aid societies, law school clinics, and pro bono programs handle qualifying cases at reduced or no cost.
Chapter 7 costs come in three buckets. Court fees: $338, fixed nationally ($245 filing fee + $78 administrative fee + $15 trustee surcharge). Attorney fees: $1,500 to $4,000, with routine cases clustering at $1,500 to $2,500 in most markets and complex cases (business debts, adversary proceedings) running higher. Courses: $50 to $100 total for pre-filing credit counseling and pre-discharge debtor education from approved providers.
That is the whole price list. Anyone quoting substantially more for a routine consumer case should explain why; anyone quoting far less may be cutting corners on the petition, which is where costly mistakes happen.
Chapter 7 attorneys almost always require full payment before filing, and there is a structural reason: the filing creates the bankruptcy estate, and debts owed at that moment, including an unpaid balance owed to your own attorney, can be discharged. An attorney who files before being paid in full risks working for free.
This creates the cruel timing problem: you need relief because you have no money, but you need money to get relief. The standard solutions are payment plans that complete before filing, stopping payments on debts about to be discharged (with counsel's guidance), and tax refunds. Do not borrow to pay the fee without discussing it with the attorney; new debt right before filing draws scrutiny.
If your income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and you cannot pay in installments, the court can waive the $338 filing fee entirely. The application (Official Form 103B) is filed with the petition, and judges grant it routinely for qualifying filers.
Above that line, you can still pay the fee in up to four installments within 120 days of filing. Miss an installment and the case can be dismissed, so only choose installments if the schedule is realistic. The clerk's office has the forms; no attorney is required to request either option.
Legal aid societies handle consumer bankruptcy for qualifying low-income filers, often free. Law school clinics take cases supervised by professors. Many bankruptcy attorneys do a set number of pro bono cases annually; ask directly. The court's website lists approved counseling providers, and many waive course fees for low-income filers.
Be wary of petition preparers (non-attorney typing services). They cannot give legal advice, and the errors they make, missed exemptions, bad means-test math, cost far more than the attorney fee you saved. If your case has any complexity, a preparer is a false economy.
Routine cases stay in the $1,500 to $2,500 attorney-fee band. Prices climb with: business debts or self-employment income (means-test complexity), adversary proceedings (lawsuits inside the bankruptcy, billed separately), above-median income (full means-test analysis), recent transfers or preferential payments the trustee may claw back, and non-exempt assets requiring negotiation with the trustee.
Get the fee in writing with a clear scope: what is included, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if the case converts to Chapter 13. Surprise billing after filing is the complaint to avoid.
Do the arithmetic the court cannot do for you: compare the total cost against the dischargeable debt. Paying $2,500 to discharge $40,000 in credit card and medical debt is an extraordinary return. Paying $2,500 to discharge $3,000 of debt is not; negotiate with those creditors directly instead.
Also price the non-dischargeable debts honestly: recent taxes, student loans (usually), domestic support obligations, and court fines survive Chapter 7. If most of your debt is non-dischargeable, the fee buys little. An attorney's case evaluation, often free, should answer this before you pay anything.
$338, set nationally: $245 filing fee plus $78 administrative fee plus $15 trustee surcharge. It can be waived for filers under 150 percent of the poverty guidelines or paid in installments.
Typically $1,500 to $4,000, with routine consumer cases clustering at $1,500 to $2,500. Complex cases with business debts or adversary proceedings cost more.
Near zero cost is possible: filing-fee waiver for qualifying low-income filers, waived counseling course fees, and legal aid or pro bono representation. Ask legal aid societies and law school clinics in your area.
Because debts owed at filing, including unpaid attorney fees, can be discharged in the bankruptcy itself. Attorneys protect themselves by collecting the fee before the petition is filed.
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Data current as of October 2026. Sources: US Courts bankruptcy fee schedule; 11 U.S.C. 1930(f) (fee waiver); national consumer bankruptcy fee surveys. Legal information only, not legal advice.