The cost to file Chapter 13 in Ohio starts at $313 for the court filing fee, plus $20 to $100 for two required financial education courses and attorney fees that generally run between $2,600 and $4,350 depending on which district you file in. On top of those figures, the Chapter 13 trustee takes a commission of up to 10% out of every monthly plan payment for the three to five years your case runs. The upfront cash needed is modest; the full administrative cost spread across the plan is not.
The $313 Court Filing Fee
Every Chapter 13 petition filed in Ohio requires $313 paid to the clerk of the bankruptcy court. That breaks down into a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.1United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Ohio. Filing Fees The amount is identical whether you file in the Northern District or the Southern District.2United States Bankruptcy Court. Filing Fees Payment is typically made by money order or cashier’s check; personal checks and cash are generally not accepted from individuals filing without an attorney.
Chapter 13 does not allow this fee to be waived. Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1006 limits full fee waivers to Chapter 7 cases filed with Form 103B.3Legal Information Institute. Rule 1006 – Filing Fee If you cannot pay $313 at filing, your only option is to spread it out.
Paying the Filing Fee in Installments
To spread the fee over time, you file Form 103A alongside your petition. The court will accept the case even if you pay nothing at filing, provided that form is included.3Legal Information Institute. Rule 1006 – Filing Fee The balance gets split into no more than four installments, with everything due within 120 days of filing. An extension can push the final payment to 180 days, but no further.
One catch most filers miss: while any part of the filing fee is still owed, neither you nor the trustee can pay your attorney or anyone else providing services on the case. Choosing installments can delay payment to your lawyer, so talk this through before you file.
Credit Counseling and Debtor Education
Two separate courses are required by federal law. The first is a credit counseling session completed within 180 days before filing. Without the certificate, the court can dismiss your case.4United States Bankruptcy Court. Notice Re New Pre-Bankruptcy Credit Counseling Requirement The second is a debtor education course on personal financial management, taken after filing. You need that certificate to receive your discharge.5U.S. Department of Justice. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Information
Each course usually runs $10 to $50, so budget $20 to $100 total. Many providers deliver the sessions online in about an hour. You have to use a provider approved by the U.S. Trustee’s office for your district; the Department of Justice keeps a searchable list.5U.S. Department of Justice. Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Information Some providers waive or reduce fees for filers below certain income thresholds, so ask before paying.
Attorney Fees and Ohio’s No-Look System
Legal fees are the largest single expense in most Chapter 13 cases. Both Ohio bankruptcy districts use a “no-look” fee system, meaning an attorney can charge a preset amount without filing itemized time records for court approval. As long as the fee stays within the approved ceiling, the court signs off at plan confirmation.
The two districts set different caps. The Northern District of Ohio uses a tiered structure established by administrative order. In smaller cases, the total no-look fee caps at $2,625, built from a $1,725 base fee, a $600 case termination fee, and a $300 fee for plans running longer than three years. In larger cases where unsecured creditors receive at least 30% repayment, the cap rises to $3,500.6United States Bankruptcy Court. Procedure for Allowance of Attorney Fees in Chapter 13 Cases The Southern District of Ohio sets its own no-look fee under separate local guidelines, which has generally been higher than the Northern District’s cap. Confirm the current figure with your attorney or the court clerk, since these amounts get updated.
Most attorneys structure payment so you aren’t covering the full fee before filing. In the Northern District, an attorney can collect up to $500 before the petition is filed, with the balance folded into your monthly plan payments.6United States Bankruptcy Court. Procedure for Allowance of Attorney Fees in Chapter 13 Cases The trustee then routes a portion of each monthly payment to your lawyer until the fee is paid. You can start a case with a relatively small amount of cash on hand.
If your case involves contested motions, adversary proceedings, or significant litigation with creditors, the attorney steps outside the no-look framework and files a detailed fee application. The court reviews the time entries and decides whether a higher fee is justified. For straightforward cases, this rarely comes up.
The Trustee Commission on Every Payment
Every dollar you pay into your Chapter 13 plan passes through a standing trustee, who distributes it to creditors and keeps a percentage for administering the case. Federal law caps that percentage at 10% for non-farm debtors.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 586 – Duties; Supervision by Attorney General Some districts run below that ceiling, with rates between 6% and 8%. The exact rate depends on the trustee assigned to your case.
This is not a separate bill. It gets baked into the plan payment calculation. If your plan sends $500 per month to creditors and the trustee takes 7%, your actual monthly payment to the trustee will be roughly $538 so the full $500 reaches creditors after the commission comes out. Your attorney should build this into the plan proposal from the start.
The commission applies for the entire life of the plan. Over five years with a 7% trustee fee and $500 monthly creditor payments, the trustee collects around $2,280. It isn’t dramatic in any single month, but it adds up.
How Plan Length Changes the Total
Chapter 13 plans run either three or five years. Which track you land on depends largely on your household income compared to Ohio’s median. Below the state median for your household size, you can propose a three-year plan. At or above the median, you generally commit to five years.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1325 – Confirmation of Plan
Ohio median income figures effective for cases filed on or after November 1, 2025:9U.S. Department of Justice. November 2025 Median Income Table
- Single earner: $64,541
- Household of 2: $81,578
- Household of 3: $99,876
- Household of 4: $120,531
- Each additional person: add $11,100
The financial gap is substantial. A debtor paying $600 per month over three years pays $21,600 in total plan payments. Over five years, the same monthly amount totals $36,000. Even if your income makes you eligible for a shorter plan, the court can require a longer commitment period if that is what it takes to meet your obligations to secured and priority creditors.
Tax Refunds During Your Plan
Annual tax refunds can become an unexpected cost. Because the bankruptcy code requires you to commit your disposable income to the plan, a large refund signals income that was not directed to creditors. When calculating monthly disposable income on Official Form 122C-2, you divide any expected refund by 12 and subtract that from your reported tax withholding expenses.10United States Courts. Chapter 13 Calculation of Your Disposable Income – Official Form 122C-2 In practice, many Ohio trustees require you to turn over all or most of your refund above a certain threshold each year.
The retention threshold varies by trustee. Some allow you to keep a modest amount, often a few hundred dollars, and require the rest go toward the plan. If unexpected expenses come up after filing, such as car repairs, medical bills, or emergency home maintenance, you can ask the court for permission to keep a larger portion. Routine expenses already built into your budget usually will not qualify. Your attorney can file a motion to retain the refund, but you will need documentation of the unexpected cost. Over five years, losing several thousand dollars in refunds adds meaningfully to the real cost of the case.
Your First Payment Is Due Within 30 Days
Plan payments to the trustee must start within 30 days of filing, even if the court has not confirmed your plan yet.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 1326 – Payments The confirmation hearing often happens weeks or months later, but the clock on payments does not wait for it. Budget for that first payment before you walk into the clerk’s office. Missing those early payments can sink a case before it really gets going.
What You Will Actually Pay
Pulling the pieces together, a typical Ohio Chapter 13 case runs:
- Court filing fee: $313
- Credit counseling and debtor education: $20 to $100
- Attorney fee under the no-look system: roughly $2,600 to $4,350, depending on district
- Trustee commission: 6% to 10% of all plan payments, deducted monthly over three to five years
- Tax refund turnover: varies; potentially several hundred to several thousand dollars annually
Upfront cash is relatively low, often just a few hundred dollars for the filing fee, counseling courses, and the attorney’s pre-filing retainer. The bulk of attorney fees and the entire trustee commission get absorbed into monthly plan payments. For a debtor paying $600 per month over five years with a 7% trustee commission, the trustee alone collects roughly $2,280 across the plan. Add attorney fees, counseling, and the filing fee, and the administrative cost of the Chapter 13 process can easily exceed $6,000 to $7,000 before a dollar reaches your creditors.