Bankruptcy / Montana / Cost

How Much It Costs To File Bankruptcy In Montana In 2024

Written by Ben Tejes
Updated Jan 11th, 2024

The cost to file bankruptcy in Montana is $338 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $313 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2024, but the answer becomes more nuanced if you decide to file with a bankruptcy attorney and if you are trying to get the filing fees waived. We were actually able to get an accurate estimate for how much the attorney fee range is in Montana by spending approximately $1,000 on PACER, which is public records database that contains bankruptcy attorney fees. As of 2024, we found that the Chapter 7 attorney fee range can cost between $1075 - $2125. This is still an estimate, so if it's helpful to get a location based estimate, please feel free to take the free Montana bankruptcy cost calculator below that takes into consideration your exact location in Montana.

If you are like me, you probably wonder how you can afford the cost of bankruptcy in Montana when it’s difficult to pay bills, especially starting in 2024 as interest rates and inflation are still an issue. Many bankruptcy costs such as the filing fee and the credit counseling courses are relatively similar. That said, the cost of bankruptcy attorney fees may range dramatically whether you are in Billings or Missoula. 

The purpose of this article is to provide you with estimated all-in costs:

  1. Bankruptcy Attorney Fees
  2. Bankruptcy Filing Costs

Estimate the All-In Bankruptcy Cost in Your Zip Code

We received the question of how much a bankruptcy costs in Montana so often that we built a database of attorney fees. Use your zip code below to estimate the cost of bankruptcy in your city in Montana.

1. Bankruptcy Attorney Fees Montana

A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is often less expensive than Chapter 13 bankruptcy. As stated above, Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys in Montana can cost between $1075 - $2125. The cost may increase or decrease based on the following factors: Complexity, location, level of attorney connection, and the bankruptcy lawyer's expertise.

Here are some of the ranges of cost in major cities in Montana.

Attorney Fees in Billings

Billings is the most populated city in Montana with a population of 116,827. Bankruptcy attorneys in Billings can cost an estimated $1,450.

Attorney Fees in Missoula

Bankruptcy attorneys in Missoula can cost an estimated $1,075.

Attorney Fees in Great Falls

Bankruptcy attorneys in Great Falls can cost an estimated $1,450.

2. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Attorney Fees Montana

Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys fees in Montana can cost $3,000. The fee can depend on the district. 

While Chapter 7 attorney fees have variability, many Chapter 13 fees are relatively similar based on no-look fees, a reasonable cost for the service provided. You may still want to see whether the attorney charges an hourly rate for any additional work after filing the Chapter 13

3. Bankruptcy Filing Costs

Bankruptcy filing costs are pretty similar across the United States, not just Montana. Here are the other costs to consider. 

Bankruptcy Filing Fees

The US Courthouse has a fee schedule and a bankruptcy form that provides the filing fee. 

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fee is $338 ($245 filing fee $78 administrative fee + $15 trustee surcharge).

The Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing fee is $313 ($235 filing fee + $78 administrative fee).

If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may be able to pay the filing fee in installments or it could be waived altogether. For more information, please see the Montana filing fee information and the information below

Montana Filing Fee Waiver Guidelines

You may be eligible to have your Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fees waived if you are below 150% of Montana poverty guidelines. For example, you can see the guidelines below for cases filed within Montana in 2022. 

# of People150% Poverty Guideline
1$15,060
2$20,440
3$25,820
4$31,200
5$36,580
6$41,960
7$47,340
8$52,720
9$58,100
* Add $5,380 for each individual in excess of 9.

Mandatory Course Costs

When you file bankruptcy, you have to take an approved credit counseling course in Montana and a debtor education course. You can often take both courses online. The average cost may is around $10 to $50 per course. Please note that the courses must be approved, so here is the list of approved Montana credit counseling courses and Montana debtor education courses that should also have the cost associated with the course. 

Miscellaneous Costs

You may have to pay for transportation to the meeting of creditors at the courthouse. You may also have to pay for a credit report for your attorney (although they may be able to help you with the credit report).

You can estimate the cost of transportation to one of the bankruptcy courts below:

District of Montana

  • 2601 2nd Avenue North Billings, MT 59101
  • 400 N. Main Butte, MT 59701
  • 125 Central Avenue West Great Falls, MT 59404
  • 125 Central Avenue West Great Falls, MT 59404
  • 901 Front Street Helena, MT 59626
  • 201 E. Broadway
    Missoula, MT 59802

Will Inflation Affect the Cost To File Bankruptcy in Montana?

With subsiding inflation in 2024, a question I’ve heard is whether inflation will slow to the extent that attorney fees may not rise. Let’s cover whether inflation may affect the filing fee and the attorney costs in Montana.

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fee was updated from $335 to $338, and the Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing fee was updated from $310 to $313 effective December 1st, 2020. Based on the very slight change, I would not expect the filing fee to negatively impact you.

You may see some inflation in attorney fee costs as inflation may force bankruptcy attorneys to pay more to employees and face higher costs of living themselves in cities such as Missoula or Great Falls or across Montana.

Would My Bankruptcy Cost Be Higher Billings Than Great Falls?

You may live in a suburb in Montana and wonder if you should hire a local attorney or an account in a bigger city like Missoula to save on bankruptcy costs.

As Billings has the highest population in Montana of 116,827, you may expect that the cost of bankruptcy attorney fees may be higher in Billings than Great Falls. 

While the cost may be higher in Billings, there also may be more bankruptcy attorneys increasing competition and dropping prices. So, you actually could find that the total cost to file bankruptcy including bankruptcy fees could be actually much higher in your city than in Billings. 

One thing to be aware of is that most bankruptcy attorneys offer free bankruptcy consultations, so you can get multiple perspectives. Also, our bankruptcy cost calculator below takes into consideration those variables when providing you with an all-in cost estimate. 

Why Do Some Attorneys Charge Higher Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Fees? 

You may compare prices from two different bankruptcy attorneys in Missoula, and find attorney costs vary between two attorneys.

The Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys often charge the same amount regardless in Great Falls due to the no-look fee (a normal fee for the services provided). That said, the Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney fee can vary greatly, so it's important to understand what you are getting for the additional cost.

The bankruptcy lawyer cost is often based on the following attributes:

  1. Which type of chapter you are filing (i.e. Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13)
  2. The complexity of your case (i.e. no asset vs asset)
  3. Your location (i.e. Billings vs Missoula
  4. Level of attorney connection
  5. Attorney expertise (i.e. how many years of experience)

For example, let’s say you make $10,000 above the median income for Montana and still want to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The attorney may then have to spend additional time looking over your expenses to see whether you would qualify for a Chapter 7 even though you are above the median. Additional attorney time generally means a higher overall bankruptcy cost.

If you are interested to learn more, please visit this article: Understanding Bankruptcy Lawyer Fees.

Conclusion

As you can see, the cost to file bankruptcy in Montana is often based on the city in which you live and the type of bankruptcy that you are filing. The biggest variable that affects all-in bankruptcy cost is the attorney fee, which may range between  $1075 - $2125 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $3,000 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Hopefully, this article provides helpful information to help you understand the all-in costs to file bankruptcy with a bankruptcy lawyer. Please reach out if you have any questions or take the free Montana bankruptcy cost calculator below.