Chapter 7 Costs
Filing Chapter 7 costs $338 in court fees plus the lawyer's fee. The court fee can be split into four payments or waived, and qualifying filers pay our $999 flat fee.
See what Chapter 7 costs
Philadelphia & South Jersey
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Lawyer
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the fastest form of consumer bankruptcy, wiping out credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans for good, usually in about 90 to 120 days. Qualifying Chapter 7 filers may be eligible for our $999 flat fee, with easy payment plans, the same lawyer start to finish, and a process you can handle from your couch anywhere in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
Qualifying filers may be eligible for our $999 flat fee Chapter 7.
A clean slate, faster than you think
Chapter 7 wipes qualifying debt out completely. The court order is called a discharge, and it's permanent: no repayment plan, and no judgment from us (we've seen it all). We make the scary part feel manageable for people across Greater Philadelphia and all of South Jersey, and everywhere else in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
What Chapter 7 wipes out
- Credit card balances
- Medical bills
- Personal loans and lines of credit
- Old utility and phone bills
- Most judgments and collection accounts
- Deficiency balances after a repossession
What you keep
- Your home, if you are current on the mortgage and have not built up a mountain of equity
- Your car, in nearly every case
- Retirement accounts: 401k, IRA, and pension
- Household goods and personal property
- The tools you need for your job
- Public benefits and Social Security
7 Steps to Chapter 7
We do the heavy lifting at every step.
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1
Step 1 of 7
Free consultation
Phone or Zoom, zero obligation, and an answer about whether Chapter 7 is right for you.
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2
Step 2 of 7
The means test and your documents
We confirm you qualify and gather the paperwork. You dig up a few documents, we do the rest.
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3
Step 3 of 7
Credit counseling
A quick, required online course. About an hour.
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4
Step 4 of 7
We file
The big one. The second we file, the automatic stay slams the door on collection calls, lawsuits, and garnishment.
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5
Step 5 of 7
Meeting of creditors
A short, routine video meeting, often five minutes. We prep you so it is a non-event.
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6
Step 6 of 7
Debtor education course
One more quick online course, then you are basically done.
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7
Step 7 of 7
Discharge
About 90 to 120 days after filing, the court enters your discharge under Section 727 of the Bankruptcy Code and wipes your qualifying debt out for good. Fresh start.
Free with every case
Getting your credit back
A discharge wipes out the debt. It does not rebuild the credit file the debt left behind. 7 Steps to a 720 Credit Score is a bonus course included with your case, taught by Evergreen Financial Counseling, the nonprofit that also runs the two bankruptcy courses you are required to take. We pay for all three.
It covers what your score is actually built from, which accounts to open first, and the habits that move it. A 720 is the level where lenders start giving you their best terms, and the course aims you there.
Related guides
Filing Bankruptcy Again
There's no lifetime limit on filing bankruptcy. The 2, 4, 6, and 8 year waiting periods limit the discharge, not the filing, and run from filing date to filing date.
Check your datesStop Wage Garnishment
Bankruptcy stops a wage garnishment the day you file. And in Pennsylvania, most consumer debts can't garnish wages at all. Here's every way to stop one.
Stop the garnishmentCommon questions about Chapter 7
Do I qualify for Chapter 7?
Most people do. The means test under Section 707(b) of the Bankruptcy Code compares your income to the current medians published by the U.S. Trustee Program for your household size in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. At or under the median, you generally qualify, and even a little over, there are still deductions and adjustments that can get you there. We run the numbers for you, for free, before anything gets filed.
Will I lose my house or car?
Usually not. Pennsylvania and New Jersey both let filers choose the federal exemptions, and because the state lists are so limited (neither has a homestead exemption), most filers here use the federal set, with amounts that adjust every three years. If your payments are current and your equity fits, you keep your home and your car. We review this before anything is filed, so there are no surprises.
How long does Chapter 7 take?
Most cases are discharged in about 90 to 120 days from the filing date. The relief, however, starts the moment we file, when the automatic stay stops collection activity.
Will it stop wage garnishment and lawsuits?
Yes. Filing triggers the automatic stay under Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code, which generally halts, immediately, wage garnishment, lawsuits, foreclosure, and collection calls.
How much does it cost?
We charge a flat fee for Chapter 7, with flexible payment plans. Qualifying Chapter 7 filers may be eligible for our $999 flat fee, and we'll quote you a clear, all-in price in your free consultation.
Can I file from Philadelphia or South Jersey without coming in?
Yes. We handle everything over phone and Zoom, from your first call through your filing. You never have to set foot in an office, wherever you are in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
Does Chapter 7 ruin my credit forever?
No. The free 7 Steps to a 720 Credit Score course, included with every case, shows you exactly how to rebuild.