People who are considering bankruptcy often wonder just how much it is going to cost them to actually file bankruptcy.  While attorneys charge a range of fees for Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcies, the court filing fees are established and set by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

In the Northern District of California, the Bankruptcy Court has a website outlining the fee schedule for filing and changes.

For a Chapter 7, the court fee to file the petition is $299.  This amount is due to the court on the day your bankruptcy petition is filed.  There are some circumstances that allow for payment of the court fee in installments and an application has to be filled out an approved by the court.  After the installment application is approved, the court sets a fee payment schedule for the balance of the fees.  If you cannot afford to pay the filing fee at all in a Chapter 7, there are special procedures to follow to receive a waiver of the filing fee.  I’ll cover these special procedures in a future blog post.

The court filing fee in a Chapter 13 is currently $274.  There is not a waiver of the filing fee available in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  Again, the entire fee must be paid when your petition is filed.

This is just a general overview of the basic fees involved with a consumer bankruptcy.  There are other fees that may apply to your individual situation and you should contact an attorney or read the U.S. Bankruptcy Court website for further information.