Alamosa County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Alamosa County?

Your case goes to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, which is administered from Denver. Colorado is a single, undivided judicial district with one clerk's office, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1 — not by the county you live in. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations, not county-assigning divisions. So there is no Alamosa-specific docket, and the district-level rules and orders described on this page are what apply to you.

Venue itself is federal. A case may be commenced in the district where your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States have been located for the 180 days before filing, or for a longer part of that period than any other district (28 U.S.C. § 1408). A recent move across state lines, or a business or main assets elsewhere, can change the answer; residence alone is not the whole rule.

What does this court require of someone filing without a lawyer?

The District of Colorado publishes a Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney, and it states plainly that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you if you file without one. That guide also says bankruptcy is a complex process and the court highly recommends retaining an attorney, and it notes that court staff are prohibited from providing advice about your rights.

Two filing mechanics matter. Under General Procedure Order 2025-1, the court's Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module is authorized exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary Chapter 7 petitions — and submitting a package through eSR does not itself commence a case; the court must first receive hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121. Under GPO 2026-1, unrepresented parties may file in person or by mail, and individual debtors, creditors and adversary parties may request permission to e-file by filing the Self-represented E-Filing Application. Joint debtors must both seek permission.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Within a reasonable time after the order for relief, the United States trustee convenes and presides at a meeting of creditors, and the court may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). In a Chapter 7 case the trustee examines you to confirm you understand the consequences of seeking a discharge, your ability to file under a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt.

The District of Colorado describes the local format on its own page: all § 341 meetings of creditors are held by Zoom for Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases, and debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. The court states the meeting is held outside the presence of the judge and usually occurs between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, depending on the chapter, with the assigned trustee conducting it in Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape the ordinary consumer case:

Continuing the § 341 meeting is handled by the trustee, not the court. A written request must reach the appointed trustee no later than seven days before the scheduled meeting, and the trustee — not the court — approves it, so the request is not filed with the court. If the trustee consents, you must immediately file a notice of continued meeting, serve it, and file a certificate of service (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1).

Colorado uses a mandatory local Chapter 13 plan form, Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1, listed on the court's Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet. Separately, General Procedure Order 2021-1 sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for Chapter 13 debtor's counsel, covering all costs through confirmation, for cases filed on or after May 1, 2021.

All filed documents must carry your name, address, telephone number, email address and bar number if applicable below the signature line, and changes must be reported promptly (D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4).

What will the court charge, and can the fee be waived or paid over time?

The statutory filing fee is $245 for a Chapter 7 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)) and $235 for a Chapter 13 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). On top of that, the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule adds a $78 administrative fee in both chapters, and a $15 trustee payment in Chapter 7.

An individual seeking to pay in installments files Official Form 103A, and a Chapter 7 debtor seeking a waiver files Official Form 103B with pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 plus completed Schedules I and J (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). Any waiver order is conditional and subject to further investigation. The court's fee-waiver page explains the waiver reaches an individual Chapter 7 debtor with income under 150 percent of the official poverty line for the family size involved who also cannot pay in installments, and that the debtor carries the burden. Under GPO 2014-4(a), a petition must arrive with full payment, an installment application, or a waiver application.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Three state-law questions do most of the work in a Colorado consumer case, and they are worth settling before a petition goes in.

First, which exemption list applies to you. Exemptions decide what property you keep, and whether Colorado's list or the federal list is available to you is a state-law question — not something the Bankruptcy Code answers the same way everywhere.

Second, the conditions on Colorado's homestead protection. Homestead amounts commonly carry conditions about occupancy, ownership and sometimes the age or disability of the owner, so the figure alone rarely answers the question.

Third, how much of your pay a judgment creditor can reach, and what changes once a case is filed. That is the question most often driving the timing of a filing.

We publish those Colorado figures with their citations on separate pages rather than restating them here, because they change on their own schedule. The credit-counseling requirement below is the one federal prerequisite that cannot wait.

What has to be done before the petition is filed?

Credit counseling comes first. The District of Colorado's own warning notice states that if you have not completed the United States Trustee approved pre-filing credit counseling course ending on the date your petition is filed, and you do not meet the statutory requirements for an extension, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. The court adds that most debtors will not meet those conditions because counseling is readily available in this district, and that voluntary petitions will be rejected when counseling was not completed during the 180-day period ending on the filing date.

An individual debtor must also file a certificate from the approved agency describing the services provided, and a copy of any debt repayment plan developed through it (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)). You must file a list of creditors, schedules of assets and liabilities, income and expenditures, a statement of financial affairs, and copies of payment advices received within 60 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 521(a)(1)). Colorado requires those advices or a statement in substantial conformity with L.B.F. 1007-6.1 (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6).

Where can an Alamosa County resident get help?

The court's own guide lists free and lower-cost options based on income and assets, including Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid, and Weld County Legal Services, and points to further resources through the Colorado Bar Association. The guide also describes a Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic offering limited-scope advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers, covering petitions, schedules, court procedures and preparing for meetings of creditors.

By Administrative Order 2020-3, attorneys, staff and volunteers associated with the Federal Pro Se Clinic may provide short-term limited legal services to self-represented litigants before the court, and Local Bankruptcy Rule 9010-1(c)(3) was amended so an attorney may give pro bono advice through a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing documents or entering an appearance.

If you would rather talk it through, Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can build you a roadmap and, with your consent, arrange an introduction to a local firm.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bankruptcy court in Alamosa County?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, administered from a single clerk's office in Denver, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1 rather than by county. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — not county-assigning divisions, so an Alamosa County case is a District of Colorado case.

Do I have to travel to Denver for my meeting of creditors?

The court states that all § 341 meetings of creditors are held by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases, and that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. The court also publishes joining instructions, troubleshooting tips, acceptable ID documents, and what to provide the trustee before the meeting.

Can I file a Chapter 7 petition using the court's online tool?

Self-represented individual debtors may use the court's eSR module to prepare and submit a voluntary Chapter 7 petition package (GPO 2025-1). Submission through eSR does not file the petition or commence a case. The case opens only after the court receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121 for each debtor.

What happens if I skip credit counseling before filing?

The court's notice to debtors states that a case filed without completing the required pre-filing counseling, where the statutory extension conditions are not met, will be dismissed without a discharge. It adds that in some cases a debtor may not be allowed to file again for 180 days, and that protection may be limited to thirty days in a new case filed within a year.

Can a non-attorney prepare my bankruptcy papers in Colorado?

Bankruptcy petition preparers must comply with 11 U.S.C. § 110. The District of Colorado states that a preparer's role is solely to type information on bankruptcy forms, that they are barred by law from giving legal advice or assisting in court proceedings, and that they cannot sign for you or take your court fees. The court publishes a list of preparers barred in this district.

Can I pay the filing fee in installments?

An individual debtor may apply to pay the petition filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). Under GPO 2014-4(a), every voluntary petition must arrive with full payment, an installment application, or a Chapter 7 waiver application, and the clerk may reject or the court may dismiss a filing that lacks the selected payment option.

Sources

• 28 U.S.C. § 1408 — Venue of cases under title 11
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 — Meetings of creditors and equity security holders · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 — Debtor's duties · official source
• 28 U.S.C. § 85: "Colorado constitutes one judicial district." The District of Colorado is a single, undivided district administered from the sole clerk's office/divisional seat at Denver; cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide (L.B.R. 1073-1, "Cases are assigned to judges by random selection to the extent possible"), not by county. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court (hearing locations) only, not county-assigning divisions.
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney
• COB GPO 2025-1
• COB GPO 2026-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB GPO 2021-1
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Voluntary Petition Packet
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1) · official source
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B) · official source

Related

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What it costs to file here

Chapter 7 — total court charges at filing

$338

28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8; Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9

Chapter 13 — total court charges at filing

$313

28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8

Court charges only. What a lawyer charges is separate and varies by district and by case. Estimate the full cost →

Colorado median income

Median annual income, household of one

$87,940

USTP Median Family Income (2026-07-15 period)

The means test compares household income to the published median for the same household size. Being above it is not a bar to filing. Compare your household →