How to File for Personal Bankruptcy in Pennsylvania
- 1). Locate the U.S. bankruptcy court in your Pennsylvania county by visiting bankruptcyinformation.com (see Resources). Scroll down and read the court locations in each area. Pennsylvania is broken down into three areas: Pennsylvania Eastern District Court, Pennsylvania Western District Court and Pennsylvania Middle District Court. Click the blue link to the official Pennsylvania website for your district.
- 2). Look to the left of the screen. There are several tabs with various information regarding filing bankruptcy in Pennsylvania. Read the information on filing without an attorney as this will help guide you through the process and may answer some questions you have.
- 3). Locate the "Forms" tab on the left side of the screen. View the "Voluntary Petition Instructions." Download and print the bankruptcy petition pages. Complete the bankruptcy petition. Filing a bankruptcy case is not easy and will require time and carefully reading the instructions. There are numerous pages to fill out, so take your time and review your answers to make sure you have completed the forms properly.
- 4). Submit the bankruptcy petition to the Pennsylvania bankruptcy court location in your county. Be prepared to pay the filing fee. As of November 2010, the filing fee is $299.
- 5). Attend a debt counseling class. Pennsylvania has approved various organizations where you can take your class. Some classes can be taken online. On the U.S. Bankruptcy court website for your Pennsylvania district, look on the left side for the tab "Approved Personal Financial Management Instructional Course." This will provide you with the contact information of the approved organizations.
- 6). Wait to hear from the trustee assigned to your bankruptcy case. Each of the three Pennsylvania districts has several trustees. Your trustee will be with your case from filing to discharge.
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