The Open Bankruptcy Project (OBP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has launched a network of more than 160 free educational websites covering every major bankruptcy statute, filing chapter, and post-discharge topic in the United States. The network -- called the Bankruptcy Transparency Network -- provides free interactive tools, bilingual content in English and Spanish, and data drawn from 4.9 million federal bankruptcy cases in the FJC Integrated Database. Every resource is free, with no advertising, no attorney referral fees, and no paywalls.
What the Network Covers
The Bankruptcy Transparency Network spans the full lifecycle of consumer bankruptcy, organized into several categories:
Filing Guides and Chapter Comparisons
- howtofilebankruptcy.org -- step-by-step filing guidance
- chapter7vs13.org -- side-by-side chapter comparison with outcome data
- whatischapter7.com and whatischapter13.com -- chapter-specific overviews
- prosebankruptcy.org -- resources for self-represented filers
Debt-Specific Resources
- bankruptcystudentloans.org -- student loan discharge under the Brunner test and recent DOJ guidance
- bankruptcytaxdebt.org -- IRS and state tax debt in bankruptcy
- bankruptcymedicaldebt.org -- medical debt and the automatic stay
- bankruptcycarloan.com -- vehicle loans, redemption, and cramdown
Post-Bankruptcy Rebuilding
- rebuildcreditafterbankruptcy.com -- credit rebuilding strategies
- buyahouseafterbankruptcy.com -- mortgage eligibility timelines by chapter
- buyacarafterbankruptcy.com -- auto financing after discharge
Attorney Quality and Court Data
- 1328f.com -- discharge eligibility screener covering 4.9 million cases across all 94 federal districts
- 1328f.org -- research platform with district comparison tools
Free Interactive Tools
The network includes three major interactive tools, all free and open-source:
- Discharge Eligibility Screener (1328f.com): Screens 4.9 million FJC records across all 94 judicial districts to check whether a prior filer may be eligible for a new discharge under 11 U.S.C. section 1328(f) and related timing provisions.
- Means Test Calculator (meanstest.org): Free means test calculator using current Census Bureau median income data, updated with April 2026 figures.
- District Comparison Explorer (1328f.org): Compare Chapter 13 completion rates, dismissal rates, and filing volumes across all 94 federal districts.
Bilingual Access
More than 2,400 pages across the network are available in Spanish, covering the same topics and tools as their English counterparts. Spanish-language bankruptcy resources remain scarce online despite the fact that Hispanic households file bankruptcy at rates comparable to the general population. OBP built the Spanish content to close that gap.
Data and Credibility
All data in the network is sourced from the Federal Judicial Center's Integrated Database, the official statistical repository for the federal courts. OBP's research methodology has been cited by the Federal Rules Committee, which accepted OBP's public comment as submission 26-BK-3 -- a proposal to require attorneys to disclose historical discharge rates before retention. That submission is currently pending before the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules.
By the numbers: 160+ websites. 10,000+ pages. 2,400+ Spanish-language pages. 4.9 million federal cases screened. 94 judicial districts covered. Zero ads. Zero attorney referral fees. Zero paywalls.
Why This Matters
Bankruptcy is the most data-rich area of federal law -- every case generates dozens of structured data points -- yet consumers have almost no access to that data when making decisions about whether to file, which chapter to choose, or which attorney to hire. PACER charges $0.10 per page for court records. The FJC database is publicly available but requires technical skill to query. The Bankruptcy Transparency Network puts that information into plain-language guides and free interactive tools that anyone can use.
Support the Project
The Open Bankruptcy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The entire network runs on GitHub Pages with zero hosting costs. Development, data collection, and maintenance are funded by individual donations. To support the project, visit GitHub Sponsors or the OBP homepage.
About the Open Bankruptcy Project: OBP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, open-source bankruptcy data and educational resources. All data is sourced from the FJC Integrated Database covering 4.9 million federal bankruptcy cases filed between 2008 and 2024 across all 94 judicial districts. No legal advice is provided. For more information, visit openbankruptcyproject.org.