The Short Answer
The cost to file bankruptcy in North Carolina depends on the complexity of your case. Chapter 7 bankruptcy fees typically range from $1,500 to $5,000, while Chapter 13 fees generally run between $4,000 and $6,000. The good news: we offer payment plans, and in a Chapter 13 case, most of the attorney fees are paid over time through your repayment plan rather than all up front. The best way to get an accurate number for your situation is a free consultation — we don't charge anything just to talk.
If you’re filing bankruptcy it probably means your budget is pretty tight right now. It certainly is for most people who come and see us. By this point in time you may have done some research about bankruptcy and you know a little bit about the different types of bankruptcies and now the next logical question is…how much is this going to cost me? It’s a good question. It’s an important question.
It’s important that you know we aren’t trying to dodge the answer to your question right now. However, the price really depends. We need to know more about your situation to be able to give you a fair price. We don’t want to charge you too much money to file a bankruptcy if your case is pretty straightforward but we also don’t want to be underpaid if your cases is really complex and complicated. That’s fair, right?
When talking to potential clients on the phone about the cost of filing a bankruptcy I will often explain to them it’s like walking into a doctor’s office and telling them you have stomach pain and you want to know how much it’s going to cost to feel better. Well, it’s hard to say until the doctor gets the chance to examine you. Is it just a 24 hour bug? If it is then there won’t be much of a cost associated in getting you feeling better. However, if it’s intestinal cancer then it may be quite a bit more expensive. Same thing with the bankruptcy. We just want to be able to examine your situation before we give you a set in stone price. The good news is, unlike doctors, we don’t charge you for the initial evaluation or consultation. It’s free. No strings attached. With that said, you probably want to know at least a ballpark on what it’s going to cost and we think that’s fair.
I’m going to give you the total numbers and then talk for a little bit about our payment plan. If you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in North Carolina, fees range anywhere between $1,500 and $5,000. If you’re looking to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy then fees typically run anywhere between (take a deep breath….) $4,000 and $6,000. These are standard fees. Attorneys can pull up information and see what other attorneys are charging for bankruptcies so you see that they will all tend to fall within the same range. I get it though, if you don’t have a lot of money right now you’re probably still trying to pick your jaw up off the floor. Let me explain why it’s not as bad as it may sound. We offer an easy payment plan and in the case of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, not all of those fees are due up front.
When you come in for an initial consultation it’s completely free, no strings attached. If you decide to hire us to do the bankruptcy for you then you won’t pay anything until you turn in paperwork to us. When you turn in the paperwork you’ll pay an initial deposit. We’ll discuss that amount when you come in for a consultation. The more complicated your case, the higher the initial deposit will be. The more straightforward your case, the lower it will be. Once we are completely done with your bankruptcy you will come in and pay the remainder of the fees and we will file the bankruptcy for you at that point. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy you will usually pay less than $1,200 for a straightforward case on the front end. The rest can be spread out over the course of your bankruptcy repayment plan. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy the fees have to be paid before filing.
One final note…don’t let the fees of filing a bankruptcy stop you from talking to someone. I know, it’s easy for me to say when I’m not the one filing the bankruptcy. We get that. However, like anything, you will usually get what you pay for. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. A bankruptcy filing can give you the opportunity to get back on your feet and start moving forward in life instead of worrying about the things in the past. Bankruptcy is complicated and technical. To ensure we give you the fairest price possible, contact us today to set up a free consultation to learn about whether bankruptcy is an option for you, the type of bankruptcy you might want to file and what costs would be associated with that filing. If we are too expensive or we just don’t click with you, you haven’t lost anything but about an hour’s worth of time. We are a family run law firm and we try to treat people the way we would want to be treated. If someone in my family was going through a tough financial time I would want them to be able to go and speak with someone to learn what their options are without there being a lot of costs associated with that process. I would also want someone to give them a fair and reasonable price. At Duncan Law, that’s what we try to do. We hope you’ll give us the opportunity to earn your business.
Key Takeaways
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy fees in North Carolina typically range from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on how complex your case is.
- Chapter 13 bankruptcy fees generally run between $4,000 and $6,000, but most of that amount is spread across your 3-to-5-year repayment plan.
- For a straightforward Chapter 13 case, you'll usually pay less than $1,200 out of pocket before we file.
- Chapter 7 fees must be paid in full before filing — there is no option to pay the attorney's portion through the court the way Chapter 13 allows.
- Our initial consultation is completely free with no obligation, so you can get a real cost estimate before committing to anything.
- Don't let the upfront cost numbers scare you off — the payment structure makes bankruptcy more accessible than most people expect.
Attorney Insight
The mistake I see most often is people delaying a free consultation for months because they assume they can't afford a bankruptcy attorney — and in that time, they drain retirement accounts trying to pay down debts that would have been discharged anyway. Retirement accounts are almost always fully protected in North Carolina, so spending them before filing can actually leave you worse off financially than if you'd called us first. After nearly 30 years of doing this, I can tell you the cost of not filing on time is almost always higher than the cost of filing. Come in, let us look at your situation, and then make an informed decision.
