The cost to file bankruptcy in North Carolina runs roughly $1,350 to $2,450 for a Chapter 7 case with an attorney, and roughly $4,850 to $5,400 for a Chapter 13 case. Filing on your own drops a Chapter 7 to about $360, and low-income filers can bring it close to zero. Every case combines the same three expenses: a court filing fee set by federal law, attorney fees if you use a lawyer, and two mandatory financial education courses.
The Court Filing Fee
A Chapter 7 case costs $338 to file. A Chapter 13 case costs $313.1United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule These amounts are federal, so they are identical whether you file in Raleigh, Charlotte, or Asheville.
North Carolina’s bankruptcy courts accept cashier’s checks, certified checks, and money orders. Attorneys filing electronically can pay by credit card through the court’s system. Personal checks and cash are not accepted.2Eastern District of North Carolina. Court Fees
Attorney Fees
Legal representation is the biggest variable in what you’ll spend, and the two chapters work differently.
Chapter 7
Most Chapter 7 attorneys in North Carolina charge a flat fee and expect it in full before filing the petition. Once the case is filed, the attorney’s bill becomes a pre-petition debt that could be discharged along with everything else, so lawyers have no reason to extend credit. Fees for a straightforward Chapter 7 case generally fall between $1,000 and $2,000. Cases involving business debts, above-median income that triggers a detailed means test analysis, or contested assets can push the number higher.
Chapter 13
Chapter 13 is built around a three-to-five-year repayment plan, and courts allow attorneys to collect a portion of their fee upfront and fold the rest into your monthly plan payments. That makes Chapter 13 accessible even without a large lump sum on day one.
Each of North Carolina’s three bankruptcy districts sets a “presumptive” base fee, sometimes called a “no-look” fee, that the court considers reasonable for a standard case. In the Middle District, the presumptive fee is $4,500 for below-median-income filers and $5,000 for above-median-income filers, with a cap of $2,500 when the total amount paid into the plan is less than $6,000.3United States Bankruptcy Court Middle District of North Carolina. Standing Order Regarding Attorneys Fees for Representation of Debtor in Chapter 13 Cases The Western District also uses a $4,500 presumptive base fee. Attorneys who believe a case warrants a higher amount can ask the court, but they need to justify the additional time.
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses
Federal law requires every individual bankruptcy filer to complete two separate financial education courses. Credit counseling has to be finished within the 180 days before you file; skip it and the court can dismiss your case.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor The second course, debtor education, happens after you file, and the court will not grant your discharge until you finish it.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 727 – Discharge Miss that step and you can go through the entire process only to walk away with your debts intact.
North Carolina is one of two states where a bankruptcy administrator, rather than the U.S. Trustee Program, oversees the approved providers, so use one approved for your district.6United States Courts. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Courses Each course runs $10 to $50, putting the pair at $20 to $100. Most are available online or by phone and take an hour or two.
If your household income falls below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, the provider may waive its fee. For 2026, that threshold is $23,940 for one person, $32,460 for two, $40,980 for three, and $49,500 for four.7U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines You’ll typically need to show recent pay stubs, tax returns, or a benefits statement.
Reducing or Waiving the Court Filing Fee
If the filing fee is a problem, the court offers two forms of relief. Both apply to the filing fee itself, not to attorney fees or course costs.
Paying in Installments
You can ask the court to let you pay the fee in up to four installments by filing an Application for Individuals to Pay the Filing Fee in Installments. All payments must be completed within 120 days of filing, though the court can extend that to 180 days for good cause.8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1006 – Filing Fee Installments are available in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. Miss a scheduled payment and the court can dismiss the case, and no discharge will be entered until the fee is paid in full.9Western District of North Carolina | United States Bankruptcy Court. Payment of Filing Fees in Installments
Full Waiver in Chapter 7
A Chapter 7 filer whose household income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines can request a complete waiver. You also have to show you can’t afford to pay even in installments, which the court evaluates from your bankruptcy schedules.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1930 – Bankruptcy Fees The income cutoffs are the same as those used for the course fee waivers.7U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines The full waiver is not available in Chapter 13.
Filing Without an Attorney
You have the legal right to file on your own in North Carolina, which is called filing pro se. Doing so removes the largest single cost, potentially saving $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the chapter. The courts themselves, though, caution against it. Bankruptcy paperwork is dense, the forms are unforgiving, and mistakes can lead to dismissed cases, lost assets, or debts that survive when they could have been wiped out.
Chapter 13 cases are especially hard to handle alone, because the repayment plan has to comply with a web of legal rules around priority debts, secured creditors, and disposable income. Most bankruptcy judges and trustees will tell you that pro se Chapter 13 plans rarely succeed. Chapter 7 with straightforward finances, limited assets, and below-median income is more realistic to file yourself, but a free initial consultation with a bankruptcy attorney can still catch costly errors before you file.
What You’ll Pay, Chapter by Chapter
- Chapter 7 with an attorney: $338 court fee + $1,000 to $2,000 in attorney fees + $20 to $100 in course fees = roughly $1,350 to $2,450 total.
- Chapter 7 pro se: $338 court fee + $20 to $100 in course fees = roughly $360 to $440, or as low as $0 with both the court fee waiver and course fee waivers.
- Chapter 13 with an attorney: $313 court fee + $4,500 to $5,000 in attorney fees (most paid through the plan) + $20 to $100 in course fees = roughly $4,850 to $5,400 total. Your upfront out-of-pocket cost can be much lower, since attorney fees are folded into monthly plan payments.
The court fee and course costs are fixed statewide. The real swing factor is attorney fees, which vary by district and case complexity. If your finances are complicated or you’re unsure which chapter fits, paying for professional help is almost always worth it; a botched filing can leave you worse off than not filing at all.