The cost to file bankruptcy in Massachusetts generally runs $1,500 to $3,000 for a Chapter 7 case and $3,000 to $6,500 for a Chapter 13 case, once you add the federal court filing fee, two required education courses, and the attorney’s flat fee. The attorney’s fee is the largest and most variable piece. The chapter you file under also changes when the money is due, which matters as much as the total if you’re short on cash right now.
Court Filing Fees
The federal court charges a mandatory fee to open a bankruptcy case. In the District of Massachusetts, a Chapter 7 filing costs $338, which bundles a $245 case filing fee, a $78 administrative fee, and a $15 trustee surcharge. A Chapter 13 filing costs $313, covering a $235 case filing fee and the same $78 administrative fee, with no trustee surcharge.1United States Bankruptcy Court District of Massachusetts. Appendix 3 Filing Fees These amounts are set by the Judicial Conference of the United States and apply nationally, so they’re identical whether you file in Boston, Worcester, or Springfield.
If you can’t pay the full amount at filing, you have two options. You can ask the court to let you pay in installments using Official Form 103A, which can split the fee into up to four payments, all due within 120 days of filing (extendable to 180 days for good cause).2Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee If you’re filing Chapter 7 and your household income is below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, you can apply for a complete fee waiver using Official Form 103B.3United States Courts. Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived Chapter 13 filers can use installments but cannot get the fee waived.
Attorney Fees
The attorney’s fee is where real cost variation happens, and it’s the expense that catches most people off guard. For a straightforward Chapter 7 case with wage income, a few credit cards, and no significant assets, Massachusetts attorneys typically charge a flat fee of $1,000 to $2,500. Once the case involves a small business, property with equity, recent financial transactions that need explaining to the trustee, or a contested means test, fees climb toward $3,500 to $4,000 or higher. Most bankruptcy lawyers quote a flat fee rather than billing hourly, which at least gives you a firm number before you commit.
Chapter 13 fees run higher because the attorney does more work: drafting a repayment plan, negotiating with creditors, attending the confirmation hearing, and often handling modifications over a three-to-five-year plan period. Fees commonly land between $3,000 and $6,000. Many bankruptcy courts set a “no-look” fee, a presumptively reasonable amount the court will approve without requiring the attorney to submit detailed billing records. The specific no-look amount varies by court and changes over time, so ask any attorney you consult what the current figure is in the Massachusetts district where you’d file.
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses
Federal law requires every individual filer to complete two separate courses before debts can be discharged. The first is a credit counseling session you must finish within 180 days before filing your petition.4United States Courts. Chapter 7 – Bankruptcy Basics The second is a debtor education course on budgeting and financial management, taken after your case is filed.5United States Courts. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses Both must come from providers approved by the U.S. Trustee Program, and the certificates of completion are filed with the court.
The cost is modest, generally $10 to $50 per person per course. Most approved providers offer the courses online, so you can finish each in about an hour from home. If your household income is below 150% of the poverty guidelines, approved providers are required to reduce or waive the fee.6U.S. Trustee Program. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Credit Counseling Stick to the approved provider list on the U.S. Trustee’s website and be wary of any provider charging significantly more than $50.
When You Have to Pay: Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13
The biggest practical difference between the two chapters isn’t the total dollar amount. It’s the timing. In a Chapter 7 case, most attorneys require the full flat fee before they file your petition. The logic is simple: once your debts are discharged, there’s no mechanism to collect an unpaid legal bill. That means you need roughly $1,300 to $2,800 or more in hand (attorney fee plus the $338 court fee) before your case even begins.
Chapter 13 works differently and is far more accessible if you’re cash-strapped. You typically pay a smaller upfront retainer to cover the initial filing work and the $313 court fee, and the remainder of the attorney’s fee is rolled into your monthly plan payments. The Chapter 13 trustee distributes the attorney’s portion along with payments to your creditors over the life of the plan.7United States Courts. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Basics For someone who needs immediate relief from wage garnishment or a foreclosure but doesn’t have $2,000 in a bank account, that payment structure is often the deciding factor.
One note on eligibility: Chapter 7 is only available if you pass the means test, which compares your income to the Massachusetts median for a household your size. If your income is too high, Chapter 13 becomes your path, and the cost structure above applies.
The Chapter 13 Trustee’s Cut
One cost that’s easy to overlook in Chapter 13 is the trustee’s percentage. The trustee who administers your repayment plan takes a cut of every dollar flowing through the plan, up to a statutory maximum of 10%.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 28 Section 586 – Duties; Supervision by Attorney General In practice, the Massachusetts Chapter 13 trustee’s percentage has historically run around 8% to 9%. You don’t write a separate check; it’s baked into your monthly plan payment. But it means that for every $500 monthly payment, roughly $40 to $45 goes to the trustee rather than to your debts. Your attorney should account for this when calculating your plan payment.
Smaller Fees That Come Up During a Case
The filing fee isn’t the only court charge you might encounter. If your circumstances change during the case, additional fees apply:9United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
- Amending your schedules to add or change creditors costs $34 each time. Correcting a creditor’s address is free.
- Converting from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 costs $25, made up of a $15 trustee payment and a $10 additional fee. This comes up when a debtor can no longer keep up with plan payments and wants to switch to a straight liquidation.
These amounts are small individually, but they add up if your case needs multiple amendments. Getting the paperwork right the first time saves money.
Filing Without an Attorney
You can legally file bankruptcy on your own, called filing “pro se,” which eliminates the attorney fee entirely and leaves you with just the court fee and course costs. The federal courts acknowledge this option but strongly recommend hiring an attorney, and there’s a reason for that warning. Bankruptcy paperwork is dense, the means test calculations are error-prone, and mistakes in your schedules can lead to your case being dismissed, your discharge denied, or property being seized that proper exemption planning would have protected. The homestead declaration alone can mean the difference between $125,000 and $1,000,000 in protected home equity in Massachusetts, and that’s just one of many choices with real dollar consequences.10Mass.gov. Massachusetts Law About Homestead For most people, the attorney fee is money well spent, particularly because the consequences of a botched filing are hard to undo.