What Court Do I Use to File Bankruptcy?

Where do I file for bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy is federal law and you file in the local Federal District Bankruptcy Court. Find out yours.
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Updated: 2020-07-17
Do I need a lawyer to file for bankruptcy?
 
Can I get free bankruptcy forms?

Most people file for bankruptcy in the federal district court closest to where they live. However, if you run a business in a different district and most of your property is located there, you may have to file in that location.

Also, if you've moved in the past six months (180 days), you may have to file in the federal district court where you used to live. It all depends on where the greater portion of your property has been for most of the past 180 days.

Wherever you're required to file, know that you can handle most of your business with the court, including filing your bankruptcy forms, by mail. However, you will need to visit the courthouse at least once to meet with the bankruptcy trustee.

For more details and to find your local court, see our articles on Find Your Local Bankruptcy Court.


Jurisdictional relevance: FIPS

There are versions of article for each County.
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You may also be interested in:

  • Do I need a lawyer to file for bankruptcy?

    The law does not require to have a lawyer, and if your case is simple and you have few assets, you can successfully file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy yourself. Chapter 13? Not so much. And if you have property to lose, or you're not great with details, getting a lawyers help can be a good idea, no matter what kind of bankruptcy you're filing. Also a lawyer may find ways to help that you haven't' thought of

  • Can I get free bankruptcy forms?

    The US government makes PDF bankruptcy forms available for free. We'll tell you which ones you need and links to download them.

  • What happens to my property in bankruptcy?

    Asset protection is an important benefit of bankruptcy. Exemption laws are the laws that let you protect certain assetss from creditors. Every state has different exemptions. Some states allow you to use the federal exemptions.

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