50 State U.S. Bankruptcy Guide

How to File for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Steps for filing bankruptcy in your state, from learning whether you qualify, to completing and filing bankruptcy forms, to discharging your debts and getting on with your life.

Do I Qualify for Bankruptcy? Bankruptcy Means Test Standards for My County

A mathematical formula—called the means test—determines whether you qualify for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in your state.

Alternatives to Filing for Bankruptcy

If your creditors will negotiate, if bankruptcy can't cancel most of your debts, or if you're truly broke, bankruptcy may not be the best solution for you. Here's how to decide.

How Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Works

How Chapter 7 bankruptcy can help you cancel your debts, protect your exempt property, and stop bill collectors.

How Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Works

You can use Chapter 13 bankruptcy to get out from under the burden of your debts, protect important property, and stop bill collectors.

How Much Does It Cost to File for Bankruptcy?

Tips for keeping bankruptcy costs down, from court filing fees to mandatory counseling costs to getting legal help.

Where to File for Bankruptcy

Most people file for bankruptcy in the federal district court closest to where they've lived for the past six months.

Bankruptcy FAQ

Means Test Calculator for Your County

The Means Test Calculator is an automated version of the official three-part test form. Just choose your zip code, and the calculator applies the relevant state median income and county living standards, based on the number of persons in your household, your marital status and what county you live in.

State Median Income Test

The means test initially looks to see if your household income is above or below median for a household your size in your state.

Means Test Calculator Table of Contents

The means test spans three forms and more than 50 questions about your income and expenses. Here's a line by line TOC with direct links to our Means Test Calculator.

Means Test FAQ

The bankruptcy means test was added to US bankruptcy law in 2005 as part of the credt-card-industry sponsored bankruptcy law to weed out so-called "bankruptcy-abusers" -- hence the language about a "presumption of abuse" (just to make you feel extra ashamed for exercising your right to bankruptcy!).

Can I Use the Federal Exemptions in My State?

Federal bankruptcy law has its own list of exemptions 11 U.S.C. § 522, but some states require you to use only the state law exemptions instead, while other states offer a choice of the state or federal exemptions. Find out what your state does.

50-State Bankruptcy Exemptions for 2021

A quick summary of the main exemptions under your state law.

Exemption Inflation Adjustments - State by State

The Federal Government adjusts Federal exemption amounts every three years. Does your state adjust exemption amounts?

Federal Non-Bankruptcy Exemptions

Some exemptions exist under Federal law, wholly separate from the bankruptcy code, and protect such assets from the reach of creditors regardless of whether bankruptcy is at issue. These exemptions can be claimed in anyone, regardless of whether you are using state exemptions, and regardless of wheter a state has 'opted out' of the federal bankruptcy exemptions under § 522(d)..

Does My State Have a Homestead Exemption? How much Is it?

How much of your home equity is protected if you file for bankruptcy in your state?

50 State Insurance Exemptions

Most states have exemptions for life insurance but it's important to figure out what part of the insurance is exempt.

50 State Miscellaneous Exemptions

50 State Motor Vehicle Exemptions & Other Personal Property

How much equity in your car or truck can you protect if you file for bankruptcy in your state?

50-State Pension Exemption Laws

Retirement accounts that are recognized by the IRS are exempt by law in bankruptcy up to over a million dollars. State law may provide additional protection for specific kinds of pensions, under state law.

50 State Public Benefits Exemptions

50 state Tenancy By Entirety laws

50 State Tools of Trade Exemptions

Most states allow an exemption for "tools of trade or profession"... this can include tools, books, even vehicles. Sometimes can be an alternative to the motor vehicle exemption.

50 State Wage Garnishment Exemptions

Wages are protected by federal non bankruptcy law, and by state wage garnishment laws, which are generally more generous than the Federal wage garnishment protection. There are typically exceptions to this exemption for things like child support, and other priority debts.

50 State Wild Card Citations

Almost every state has an exemption for "any property" which is sometimes called the "wildcard" or "grubsteak" exemption. Generally this exemption is useful because it can be combined with other exemptions to fully protect equity that might otherwise go unprotected.

Bankruptcy Court FAQ

What you need to know about how to get information you need bankruptcy court and what you're likely to encounter on court websites

What is CM/ECF?

Am I required to file electronically?

What does "pro se" mean?

Will the court staff explain the filing procedure to me?

What is a 341 Hearing?

Glossary of Important Terms You're Likely to find in Court Websites

What does "pro bono" mean

Required Forms & Fees

Basic Forms You Will Need In Any Court

Getting Help With Forms & Filing

Free PDF Downloadable Bankruptcy Forms

Basic Forms You Will Need in Any Court

Local Forms Required by the Pennsylvania Western District Bankruptcy Court

Getting help with forms and filing

Bankruptcy Forms FAQ

Your questions about bankruptcy forms

How to Find a Bankruptcy Lawyer in

Ten Ways a Bankruptcy Lawyer Can Help You

Here are ten ways that a bankruptcy lawyer can help guide you through the bankruptcy process to make sure you take maximum advantage of what the law offers debtors.

Directories of Bankruptcy Attorneys

What Should I Expect From a Bankruptcy Lawyer

Should You Use a Bankruptcy Petition Preparer (BPP)?

If you need clerical help -- not legal help -- a bankruptcy petition preparer can produce your bankruptcy court forms for a reasonable fee.

CAREs Act Changes to the Bankruptcy Code

Congress made a few important changes to the bankruptcy laws. Here’s a summary of what’s changed.

CAREs Act Changes to Official Means TestForms 122A-1, 122B, and 122C-1

The CARES Act made an important change to the means test form to indicate that payments under the CARES act are NOT included in determining median income. This could be a great boon to those thinking of filing.

Bankruptcy as Part of Your COVID-19 Financial Plan

Consumer bankruptcy filing reached a 34 year low in 2020, because forbearance and other programs prevented the normal collection efforts, like wage garnishment and foreclosure, — the things that usually prompt people to recognize how dire their situation is — prompting them to file. Whether the timing for filing for bankruptcy is now or later, the time to talk to a bankruptcy attorney IS NOW, so you can take full advantage of the financial protections that bankruptcy law can provide, and avoid common financial mistakes in the year to 18 months before filing, that may cause you to lose assets you could otherwise keep in bankruptcy.

Best Mortgage forbearance and COVID-19 Resources on the Internet

We've gathered links to best information on the web on the subject of COVID-19 legislation and resources that can help you keep your home during this economic crisis. We've gathered the best stuff all into the one article. -- Bookmark this page. We will revise it as we find new sources

Selected Articles about Bankruptcy and the Coronavirus

The best of what's out there on the web about how to use bankruptcy law to protect your assets during the Covid-19 recession.

Can Bankruptcy Keep Me From Being Evicted?

Can bankruptcy help stop an eviction? Well, it can delay it, for an extra month or two, in some cases, in some states, if you file early enough in the eviction process. And bankruptcy can be part of a broader financial strategy to keep a roof over your head. But you'll want to see a lawyer sooner rather than later to take full advantage of your options.

CDC Bans Evictions Through June 30, 2021

Find out how the CDC eviction ban works in your state. We're tracking down the latest tools and information on the internet or you to use.

LC Bankruptcy Newsfeed

What We're Reading about Bankruptcy, Debt and Credit. Timely, useful articles, from reliable sources.

Daily News on Bankruptcy

Where to read up on news about about debt, credit, and bankruptcy.

Credit Card news & Info

Bankruptcy & Economic Statistics

Economic Statistics that relate to bankruptcy, such as savings rates, default rates, and outstanding consumer debt, secured and unsecured, like credit card debt, student loan debt, and auto loans.

Other Free Audio/Video About the Debt & Credit Industry

Good videos and audio information about bankruptcy, for those who listen better than they read...

50-State Exemption Updates

If there's changes in your state’s exemptions, here's where you'll find out about them.

Tweets by @meanstest

What we're Tweeting, in our twitter accounts @meanstest (for bankruptcy) and @lawbyzip

Blog

The latest from our blog on news and legislation that affects consumers.