About This Site
Every bankruptcy case begins with the filing of a voluntary petition under 11 U.S.C. Section 301 (or, rarely, an involuntary petition under Section 303). The voluntary petition is the document that creates the bankruptcy estate, triggers the automatic stay, and brings the debtor under the protection of the bankruptcy court. It is Official Form 101 for individuals and Official Form 201 for non-individuals.
This site will walk through the entire petition process: what documents are required, what information must be disclosed, what fees are involved, and what happens in the hours and days after filing. We will cover the schedules (A/B through J), the Statement of Financial Affairs, the means test form (Form 122A or 122C), and the credit counseling certificate requirement.
We will also address common filing mistakes -- bare petitions filed without schedules, incorrect venue selection, missing credit counseling certificates, and failure to list all creditors -- and explain how these errors can delay or derail a case before it really begins.
Part of the Bankruptcy Transparency Network -- a growing collection of free, open-source bankruptcy information sites built on public court data. No advertising, no lead generation, no attorney referral fees. Real information, no strings.
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Dive deeper into the costs and requirements of filing for bankruptcy: