What is the cost of filing a chapter 7 or chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy?
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court will require the consumer to pay a filing fee upon the filing of a Bankruptcy Petition. A Chapter 7 filing fee is $209. A Chapter 13 filing fee is $194. If a consumer uses an attorney to assist them in filing Bankruptcy, the fees vary from law firm to law firm. Our office charges vary depending on the complexity of the case.
Bankruptcy fees vary in type and by bankruptcy "chapter." For example, the "filing" fees, as of April 9, 2006, are:
Chapter 7 – $299
Chapter 13 – $274
In addition, if you utilize the services of an attorney, you will incur "attorney’s" fees. These can be as little as $300 in some areas for simple cases. In other cases, the fees can be in the millions of dollars (see Michael Vick and Blockbuster Video).
Attorneys generally determine fees based on the expected amount of work they perform an a given case. The more complex the matter, the higher the fee. Instances that would likely incur a higher rate for consumers include home retention, vehicle retention, fraud claim litigation, and sole proprietor businesses.
