Do you have debt you can't pay? Learn what filing can cost before you decide anything.
Bankruptcy Costs and Timelines by State
Learn the court fee ($338 or $313), how you can pay it in installments or ask to waive it, and where your income sits against your state's median.
It's 100% free, with no sign-up and no cost to you.
Cost to file estimator
How to use this free tool
- Answer the 4 questions below.
- Press "See the fee and how to pay it".
- Learn the court fee for your chapter ($338 for Chapter 7 or $313 for Chapter 13, the court's fee only; a lawyer's fee is separate), how you can pay it in up to 4 installments or, in Chapter 7, ask to waive it, where your income sits against the Chapter 7 waiver line and your state's median, and the Chapter 13 no-look attorney fees on record for your state's districts. Every line shows its source.
Legal Cost by State is operated by LeadVera Media, a marketing company that is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. Nothing on this site is legal advice.
Tools
Bankruptcy Filing Cost Estimator by State
Free tool: choose your chapter, state, household size and income band to see the $338 or $313 court fee (a lawyer's fee is separate), how you can pay it in installments or ask to waive the Chapter 7 fee, your state's median and district no-look fees.
See the fee and how to pay itMeans Test Check: Your Income vs the Median
Free check: choose your state, household size and monthly income band to see whether your band sits below, above or too close to call against the state median that opens the Chapter 7 means test, with the table it was read from.
Check your eligibilityState charts
Bankruptcy Exemptions by State
Learn the homestead, vehicle and wildcard exemption amounts for every state from the statute text, whether you can choose the federal list, and the statute and page behind each row, with a flag on any figure the statute does not confirm.
See the state chartMedian Income by State for the Means Test
Learn your state's median family income from the U.S. Trustee Program for households of one to four, plus $11,100 per extra person, for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026.
See the state chartGuides
Bankruptcy Fee Waiver: If You Cannot Pay the $338
Learn how you can pay the $338 or $313 court fee in up to four installments, the Chapter 7 waiver below 150 percent of the poverty line, the forms, and the 2026 poverty guideline figures.
Read the guideMeans Test Explained: Chapter 7 Income Rule
Learn how your income is compared with your state median, the add-on for larger households, the second step above the median, and how the same table sets a Chapter 13 plan length.
Read the guideChapter 7 vs Chapter 13: Cost and Timeline
Learn the $338 and $313 court fees (a lawyer's fee is separate), the Chapter 7 timeline from petition to discharge, the Chapter 13 plan from first payment to discharge, and what each chapter's attorney fee looks like.
Read the guideBankruptcy Cost: $338 Court Fee, Courses, Attorney
Learn the $338 Chapter 7 and $313 Chapter 13 court fees (a lawyer's fee is separate), how you can pay in installments or ask for a waiver, the two required courses, and the Chapter 13 no-look attorney fee each district publishes.
Read the guideThis site does not provide bankruptcy assistance: it does not prepare petitions, advise on whether or how to file, or represent anyone. It publishes court fees, median income tables, filing counts and state exemption amounts, each with its source and the date it was checked.