Can I file bankruptcy if I can't afford an attorney?

Yes. You can file pro se (without an attorney), apply for a fee waiver to eliminate the filing fee, or pay the filing fee in installments. Some legal aid organizations also provide free bankruptcy assistance.

Are there hidden fees in bankruptcy?

The main costs are the filing fee, attorney fee, and credit counseling courses (about $20-50 total). Some attorneys charge extra for adversary proceedings or plan modifications, so ask for a complete fee breakdown upfront.

What is the cheapest way to file bankruptcy?

The cheapest option is filing pro se with a fee waiver, which costs nothing. If you hire an attorney, Chapter 7 is generally less expensive than Chapter 13. Always compare quotes from multiple attorneys.

Can I pay bankruptcy attorney fees in installments?

Most bankruptcy attorneys accept payment plans. In Chapter 13, attorney fees can even be paid through your repayment plan. In Chapter 7, many attorneys require full payment before filing, but installment arrangements are common.

How is the Open Bankruptcy Project's impact measured?

Impact is tracked across several measures: aggregate users served (visits and downloads), cases referenced through the case search, bytes of PACER data freed by republication, citations to OBP datasets in academic publications, and adoption of OBP tools by legal aid organizations. The transparency report page publishes annual figures with year-over-year comparisons. Impact measurement is deliberately conservative - the project counts only documented uses, not extrapolated reach. Where independent verification is possible (academic citations, press mentions), it is cited.

What policy or rules changes has OBP contributed to?

The Open Bankruptcy Project has submitted formal proposals to the Federal Rules Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy concerning attorney-disclosure rules under 11 USC § 329 and Bankruptcy Rule 2016, and concerning case-disposition transparency. The project also participates in public comment processes on PACER fees and electronic-access policies. Adoption of any specific recommendation depends on the rules-making process, which can take years. The project documents its submissions on the research page so that interested parties can follow progress.

How does free access to bankruptcy data benefit consumers?

Free access changes the information balance between consumers facing bankruptcy and the institutional players who routinely use the system. Filers can verify their attorney's track record, compare district-level outcomes, understand local trustee tendencies, and read prior opinions from the assigned judge. Researchers can study system-wide patterns that PACER's per-document pricing makes prohibitively expensive. Journalists can investigate practices like 'no money down' Chapter 13 mills. Each of these uses is impossible or much harder under the paywalled status quo.

How can I cite OBP impact in advocacy work?

The project encourages citation of its data and findings in advocacy submissions, comment letters, and amicus briefs. Recommended citation formats are listed on the transparency report and research pages. For court filings, datasets are versioned so that prior figures can be reproduced. The project does not require pre-clearance for advocacy citations and welcomes notification so that the work can be linked from the research page. Both organizational and individual citations are accepted - no institutional affiliation is required.

Impact — Open Bankruptcy Project

Filing fees are $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13. Attorney fees typically range from $1,000 to $3,500 depending on the chapter and complexity. Fee waivers and installment payments are available for those who qualify.

By the Numbers

8M Federal bankruptcy cases indexed

15M+ PPP + EIDL loan records indexed

94 Federal districts covered

392,412 Repeat filers identified

210+ Publication domains

49,000+ Pages of free content

501(c)(3) IRS determination 4/6/26 (EIN 41-5159631)

26-BK-3 / 5 Federal Rules suggestions docketed

549+ Cases donated to RECAP

100% Volunteer-built (zero paid staff)

Timeline

March 2026

Screener launched. The discharge eligibility screener goes live on 1328f.com, powered by 8 million FJC cases running entirely in the browser. No server, no sign-up, no cost.

March 2026

Domain network acquired. Initial set of statute-specific domains covering major sections of the Bankruptcy Code, each hosting free plain-language guides and tools.

March 23, 2026

Rules Committee submission docketed. Suggestion 26-BK-3 docketed by the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules and cited in its April 2026 agenda book - proposing automated Section 1328(f) discharge bar screening.

March 27, 2026

Nonprofit incorporated. Open Bankruptcy Project files as a Missouri nonprofit corporation.

April 6, 2026

501(c)(3) determination letter. IRS recognizes OBP as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) (EIN 41-5159631; 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) publicly supported public charity).

April 16, 2026

Suggestion 26-BK-5 submitted. Rule 9037 / Forms 121 & 309E1 SSN exposure remediation submitted to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules.

May 2026

Network crossed 49,000+ pages across 210+ publication domains, now available in 6 languages (English, Spanish, German, Polish, French, Italian). AI Sanctions Tracker launched (court orders on attorney AI-hallucination conduct). Per-row LegalCase JSON-LD published across the 4,280-page national district index. Spanish corpus expanded with 17 new statute-specific topic translations. Observability stack deployed across the network.

Pending

Google Ad Grants. $10,000/month in free search advertising to reach people searching for bankruptcy information.

Pending

PACER fee exemption. Application for fee-exempt PACER access to expand case monitoring and make all accessed records permanently free through RECAP.

RECAP: Making PACER Free

Every page we access through PACER becomes permanently free through RECAP. The RECAP archive - maintained by the Free Law Project - makes federal court documents freely available to the public. Every docket we pull, every document we download, is automatically contributed back. Our research does not just produce reports - it expands the public record. See the indexed cases at /cases/.