The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas is the Dallas Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, located inside the Earle Cabell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 1100 Commerce Street, Room 1254, Dallas, Texas 75242-1496.1PACER. Texas Northern Bankruptcy Court The Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed on federal holidays. Filing fees and payments are accepted up to 4:30 p.m.2United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Court Information The main phone number is 214-753-2000, and automated case status is available through the Voice Case Information System at 800-886-9008.
The Northern District also has divisional offices in Amarillo, Fort Worth, and Lubbock, but only the Dallas Division handles cases from the counties listed below.3United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas
Is the Dallas Division Your Court
The Dallas Division has jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases from seven counties:4United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Dallas Division
- Dallas
- Ellis
- Hunt
- Johnson
- Kaufman
- Navarro
- Rockwall
Federal venue rules say you file in the district where you’ve lived, maintained your principal place of business, or kept your principal assets for the 180 days before filing, or for the greater portion of that 180 days if you moved between districts.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1408 – Venue of Cases Under Title 11 If one of those seven counties fits that description for you, the Dallas Division is where your case belongs. Other Northern District counties go to Fort Worth, Amarillo, or Lubbock.
Filing Fees and How to Pay
A Chapter 7 case costs $338 total: a $245 base filing fee, a $78 administrative fee, and a $15 trustee surcharge. A Chapter 13 case costs $313, consisting of a $235 base filing fee and the $78 administrative fee.6United States Courts. Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule
Payment rules at this court are strict. Individual filers can pay only by money order or bank cashier’s check, made payable to “Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.” Personal checks, two-party checks, postdated checks, and credit or debit cards are not accepted.7United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Information for Debtors Without Attorney Representation Showing up without the right form of payment means you cannot file that day.
If your household income falls below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines and installments are not realistic, you can ask the court to waive the Chapter 7 filing fee entirely by submitting Official Form 103B with your petition.8United States Courts. Chapter 7 – Bankruptcy Basics Chapter 13 cases do not qualify for fee waivers, but you can request installments.
Two Required Courses You Cannot Skip
Federal law requires two separate courses, and missing either one blocks your discharge. Both must come from agencies approved by the U.S. Trustee, not any financial counselor.
The first is pre-filing credit counseling. You must complete it within 180 days before filing your petition.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 109 – Who May Be a Debtor The session runs about an hour by phone or online. File the certificate with your petition, or within 14 days after. A certificate older than 180 days on the day you file has expired, and you’ll need to retake the course.
The second is a post-filing personal financial management course, covering budgeting and money management. If you don’t complete it, the court must deny your discharge regardless of how your case went.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 727 – Discharge This is one of the most common ways pro se filers lose cases they otherwise would have won.
Filing in Person vs. Electronically
Attorneys file through the court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system in PDF format, following the registration and technical requirements in the local rules and administrative procedures.11United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Local Bankruptcy Rules A Declaration for Electronic Filing typically accompanies the petition and schedules to certify them.
Filing without an attorney means bringing paper documents to the Clerk’s Office window during business hours. You must present a valid Texas driver’s license or Texas state ID card at the time of filing.7United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Information for Debtors Without Attorney Representation Have the money order or cashier’s check in hand, or your completed fee waiver request, because you cannot file without resolving payment at the same time.
Local Forms and the 14-Day Skeleton Deadline
Beyond the national Official Bankruptcy Forms, the Dallas Division requires supplemental local forms. The Verification of Creditor Matrix, for instance, confirms the accuracy of your creditor list.12United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. BTXN094 – Verification of Creditor Matrix The complete set of local forms is posted on the court’s website.
Formatting rules are strictly enforced. Documents must comply with the court’s Local Bankruptcy Rules and the Electronic Case Filing Administrative Procedures Manual, covering paper size, margins, and fonts.13United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Texas. Administrative Procedures for the Filing, Signing, and Verifying of Documents by Electronic Means in Texas Bankruptcy Courts A rejected filing doesn’t stop your deadlines.
If you file an emergency “skeleton” petition without full schedules, you have 14 days to submit the rest: the schedules of assets and liabilities, the statement of financial affairs, and the credit counseling certificate.14Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure Rule 1007 – Lists, Schedules, Statements, and Other Documents Miss it and the court can dismiss your case.
What Happens After You File
The automatic stay takes effect the moment your petition is filed. It’s a federal injunction that stops most collection efforts: lawsuits, wage garnishments, foreclosure, and creditor calls.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 362 – Automatic Stay It’s not absolute. Child support and some tax proceedings can continue. If a prior bankruptcy case of yours was dismissed within the past year, the stay may last only 30 days, or may not apply at all without a court order.
Between 21 and 60 days after filing, the court schedules a meeting of creditors, known as the 341 meeting. You must attend. A trustee asks you questions under oath about your finances and the accuracy of your petition. Creditors may attend, though most don’t.
In the Northern District of Texas, Chapter 7, 12, and 13 Section 341 meetings are held by Zoom. Chapter 11 meetings are held by telephone. Your notice from the court will include the Zoom meeting ID, passcode, and audio-only phone number.16U.S. Department of Justice. Region 6 – Local Section 341 Meeting Information If you can’t attend by video, the U.S. Trustee can approve another arrangement.
Going to the Courthouse
341 meetings happen remotely, but motions, adversary proceedings, and other hearings still take place at the Earle Cabell Federal Building. Everyone entering the building passes through a metal detector and bag scan, so arrive early, especially on your first visit.
Phones and other electronic devices must be silenced inside courtrooms. Recording, broadcasting, and photography are not allowed. Daily dockets listing hearings, judges, and courtrooms are posted online and near the courtrooms themselves.
The courthouse sits in downtown Dallas. Paid parking garages are nearby, and multiple DART rail stations are within walking distance.