The cost to file bankruptcy in District of Columbia is $338 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $313 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy based on the US bankruptcy court fee schedule. That said, are you going to hire an attorney? Are you going to apply for a fee waiver?
In 2026, we found that the Chapter 7 attorney fee range can cost between $1150 - $1661, but the free bankruptcy cost calculator below should be able to estimate based on your exact city in District of Columbia. We got this information by spending approximately $1,000 on PACER, a public records database that contains bankruptcy attorney fees.
A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is often less expensive than a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. As stated above, Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys in District of Columbia can cost between $1150 - $1661. The cost may increase or decrease based on the following factors:
The bankruptcy lawyer's cost is often based on the following attributes:
Here are some cost ranges in major cities in District of Columbia.
Washington, D.C. is the most populated city in District of Columbia with a population of 702,455. Bankruptcy attorneys in Washington, D.C. can cost an estimated $1,500.
Bankruptcy attorneys in East Washington, D.C. can cost an estimated $1,500.
Bankruptcy attorneys in West Washington, D.C. can cost an estimated $1,500.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys fees in District of Columbia can cost $3,000. The fee may vary by district.
While Chapter 7 attorney fees vary, 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
Bankruptcy filing costs are pretty similar across the United States, not just District of Columbia. Here are the other costs to consider.
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).
| # of People | 150% 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. | |
When you file bankruptcy, you have to take an approved credit counseling course in District of Columbia and a debtor education course. You can often take both courses online. The average cost may be around $10 to $50 per course. Please note that the courses must be approved, so here is the list of approved District of Columbia credit counseling courses and District of Columbia debtor education courses, which should also include the cost of the course.
You may have to pay for transportation to the meeting of creditors at the courthouse, but most 341 meetings of creditors are still online, even after COVID. You may also have to pay for a credit report for your attorney (though they may be able to help you with it).
You can estimate the cost of transportation to one of the bankruptcy courts below:
Let’s cover whether inflation may affect the filing fee and the attorney costs in District of Columbia.
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 East Washington, D.C. or West Washington, D.C. or across District of Columbia.
You may live in a suburb in District of Columbia and wonder if you should hire a local attorney or an attorney in a bigger city like East Washington, D.C. to save on bankruptcy costs.
As Washington, D.C. has the highest population in District of Columbia of 702,455, you may expect that the cost of bankruptcy attorney fees may be higher in Washington, D.C. than West Washington, D.C..
While the cost may be higher in Washington, D.C., there may also 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 Washington, D.C..
One thing to keep in mind 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.
You may compare prices from two different bankruptcy attorneys in East Washington, D.C., and find that attorney costs vary between two attorneys.
The Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys often charge the same amount regardless in West Washington, D.C. 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.
For example, let’s say you make $10,000 above the median income for District of Columbia 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.
