The cost to file bankruptcy in Michigan usually lands between $1,350 and $2,450 for a Chapter 7 case handled by an attorney, and between $3,350 and $4,400 for Chapter 13. Filing on your own drops a Chapter 7 to roughly $360, and low-income filers can qualify to have the court fee waived entirely. The three pieces that make up your bill are the same in every case: court fees set by federal law, attorney fees if you hire one, and two required education courses.
Court Filing Fees
Court filing fees are set by federal law and are identical in Michigan’s Eastern and Western Districts. For Chapter 7, the total paid to the court is $338: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee, and a $15 trustee surcharge.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees2United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
For Chapter 13, the total court cost is $313: a $235 filing fee plus a $78 administrative fee. Chapter 13 cases do not carry the trustee surcharge.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees2United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
Attorney Fees in Michigan
Hiring a lawyer is the largest expense in almost every bankruptcy case. In Michigan, Chapter 7 attorney fees generally run $1,000 to $2,000 as a flat fee covering paperwork, the filing itself, and the meeting of creditors. Most Chapter 7 attorneys require the full fee before filing, because any balance owed after filing would be discharged along with your other debts, and a lawyer who is owed money by a bankruptcy client is technically a creditor.
Chapter 13 attorney fees are higher, generally $3,000 to $4,000 in Michigan, but you do not need all of it upfront. Attorneys typically collect a portion at the start and roll the rest into your three-to-five-year repayment plan. The bankruptcy court must approve the total fee as reasonable, which gives you some built-in protection.3United States Courts. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Basics
Complexity pushes fees toward the top of these ranges. A business owner, a filer facing foreclosure, someone with significant assets, or a case involving tax debt will pay more than someone with straightforward credit card debt and no property disputes.
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses
Federal law requires every individual filer to complete two courses through an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. Skipping either one will stall or sink your case.
The credit counseling session comes first and must be completed within 180 days before you file.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor It takes about an hour, can be done online or by phone, and costs $10 to $50.
The debtor education course (sometimes called a financial management course) comes after filing but before your debts are discharged.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 727 – Discharge Without the certificate of completion, the court will not enter your discharge. The cost is the same $10 to $50 range, and some providers offer a small discount when you buy both courses together.6United States Courts. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses
If your household income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, you can ask the agency for a fee waiver on either course. For 2026, that threshold is roughly $23,940 for a single person and about $49,500 for a family of four.7HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Bring recent pay stubs or other income documentation when you sign up.
If You Cannot Afford the Court Fee
You have two options if the court filing fee is out of reach, and which one is available depends on the chapter.
Paying in Installments
Both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filers can apply to pay the court filing fee in installments using Form 103A. The court can approve up to four installments, and you generally must finish paying within 120 days of filing. For cause, the court can extend that deadline, but no later than 180 days after the petition date.8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee Missing an installment is serious. The court can dismiss your case, and dismissal does not erase the fee itself.
Full Fee Waiver (Chapter 7 Only)
Chapter 7 filers can apply to have the court fee waived entirely using Form 103B. To qualify, your household income must be below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you must show you cannot pay the fee even in installments.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees Using the 2026 guidelines, the income cutoffs are:7HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
- Single person: below $23,940
- Family of two: below $32,460
- Family of three: below $40,980
- Family of four: below $49,500
A full waiver is not available in Chapter 13 cases.
Filing Without a Lawyer
You have the legal right to file on your own, which the courts call filing “pro se.” Skipping the attorney brings a Chapter 7 down to roughly $360 to $440 (court fees plus the two courses) and a Chapter 13 to about $335 to $415.10United States Courts. Filing Without an Attorney
The savings are real, and so are the risks. The federal courts warn that misunderstanding the law or missing a deadline can permanently affect your rights. Court staff and judges cannot give you legal advice. Pro se Chapter 13 cases are especially hard because the repayment plan requires detailed calculations about disposable income and creditor priorities. A Chapter 7 with simple debts and few assets is the version most manageable to handle alone, and even then a single mistake in your exemption schedules can cost you property worth far more than you saved.
How the Choice Between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Drives Your Cost
Which chapter you file is the single biggest cost lever, and the choice is not always yours. Federal law uses a means test to decide whether your income is low enough for Chapter 7. If your household income is above the state median, you may be pushed into Chapter 13, which costs more because of higher attorney fees and a multi-year plan.
For Michigan cases filed between November 2025 and March 2026, the median income thresholds are:11U.S. Department of Justice. Median Family Income Table – November 1, 2025
- Single earner: $65,625
- Household of two: $81,293
- Household of three: $100,797
- Household of four: $119,856
Add $11,100 per additional person for larger households. Below the median, you pass the initial screen and can proceed under Chapter 7. Above it, a more detailed calculation of expenses and disposable income determines whether Chapter 7 remains available.
The plan length also affects cost. A Chapter 13 plan runs three years if your income is below the state median, and five years if it is above.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1322 – Contents of Plan A longer plan means more time paying in.
Michigan Exemptions Can Push Your Cost Up
Michigan sets its own exemption amounts, and these limits can quietly change which chapter makes sense for you. Assets above the exemption limits can be sold by a Chapter 7 trustee to pay creditors. The main figures:13Michigan Legislature. MCL 600-5451
- Homestead: up to $30,000 in equity ($45,000 if you or a dependent is 65 or older, or disabled)
- Vehicle: up to $2,775 in one motor vehicle
- Household goods: up to $450 per item, $3,000 total
- Tools of your trade: up to $2,000
- Household pets: up to $500
- Computer and accessories: up to $500
- Retirement accounts: IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b) plans are fully exempt
Consider a paid-off car worth $10,000. Only $2,775 of that is protected. In Chapter 7, the trustee could sell the car, hand you $2,775, and distribute the rest to creditors. To keep the car, you might file Chapter 13 instead, which typically raises your total bankruptcy cost by a couple thousand dollars in attorney fees. Reviewing your exemptions before choosing a chapter is one of the most consequential decisions in the entire process.
Total Cost at a Glance
Combining every piece, here is what most Michigan filers pay:
- Chapter 7 with an attorney: roughly $1,350 to $2,450 ($338 court fees, $1,000 to $2,000 attorney fees, $20 to $100 in courses)
- Chapter 7 without an attorney: roughly $360 to $440 (court fees plus courses)
- Chapter 7 with fee waiver and no attorney: as low as $20 to $100 (courses only, possibly free with a counseling fee waiver)
- Chapter 13 with an attorney: roughly $3,350 to $4,400 ($313 court fees, $3,000 to $4,000 attorney fees, $20 to $100 in courses)
Chapter 13 filers rarely pay the full attorney fee upfront, since most of it is spread across the repayment plan, and the court filing fee can be paid in installments in either chapter. For the lowest-income Chapter 7 filers, the out-of-pocket cost can drop to almost nothing.