Chapter 7 prep, in order.

11 U.S.C. § 109(h) makes credit counseling mandatory BEFORE filing. Several deadlines run concurrently — start them all early.

• Pre-filing credit counseling certificate

  From a USTP-approved provider, within 180 days BEFORE filing. ~$25-50, 60-90 minutes online or by phone. List at justice.gov/ust/credit-counseling-debtor-education-information.

• Means Test (Form 122A-1) — passed

  Open →

  Below your state's median income for your household size = qualified for Ch 7 under § 707(b)(7).

• Pay stubs — last 60 days

  Trustee will request these. Get them from your employer's payroll portal or by request.

• Tax returns — last 2 years

  Federal returns. The trustee will compare these against your Schedule I income.

• Bank statements — last 3 months

  All checking + savings accounts. Trustee looks for unreported income, asset transfers, and luxury purchases.

Underdisclosure of assets or creditors is the #1 reason pro se Ch 7 cases are dismissed or referred for fraud. Generate every schedule via the wizards.

• Schedule A/B — Assets

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  Real property, vehicles, household goods, accounts, retirement, business interests, expected refunds.

• Schedule C — Exemptions

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  Federal vs state exemption choice + per-asset exemption claim with statute citation.

• Schedule D/E/F — Creditors

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  Secured (D), priority unsecured (E), general unsecured (F). Missing creditors = debts NOT discharged.

• Schedule J — Monthly Expenses

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  Every monthly outflow used by the trustee to assess disposable income.

• Statement of Intention (Form 108)

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  For each secured property: reaffirm / redeem / surrender, plus applicable lease decisions.

• Voluntary Petition (Form 101)

  Court-issued cover form. Get it from uscourts.gov/forms/bankruptcy-forms.

• Statement of Financial Affairs (Form 107)

  Disclosures of payments to creditors in last 90 days, gifts, lawsuits, business income, etc. Court-issued form.

File everything together. Missing a schedule means the case can be dismissed for failure to prosecute.

• Filing fee or fee-waiver request

  Ch 7 fee is $338 (verify at uscourts.gov). Form 103B requests waiver if income is below 150% of poverty line; Form 103A allows installment payments.

• File at U.S. Bankruptcy Court for your district

  Find your district at uscourts.gov/court_locator. Some districts allow pro se electronic filing; others require paper.

• Receive case number + automatic stay

  The automatic stay under § 362 stops collection efforts the moment the petition is filed. Notify creditors with your case number — most stop immediately, but write ones who don't.

Two more required steps after the petition lands. Skip either and discharge is denied.

• 341 Meeting of Creditors

  21-50 days after filing. Trustee asks questions under oath about your schedules. Bring photo ID + Social Security card. Usually 5-15 minutes.

• Debtor Education course

  Required AFTER filing under § 727(a)(11). USTP-approved provider, ~$25-50, 60-90 minutes. File the certificate within 60 days of the 341 meeting.

• Respond to trustee document requests

  Trustee may request tax returns, bank statements, vehicle titles, retirement account statements. Respond promptly.

• Discharge entered

  Standard Ch 7 discharge issues 60-90 days after the 341 meeting. Bankruptcy court sends Form 318 directly to listed creditors.