Arapahoe County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Arapahoe County?

Your case goes to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Under 28 U.S.C. § 85, "Colorado constitutes one judicial district" — a single, undivided district administered from the sole clerk's office at Denver. There is no Arapahoe County division and no county-based assignment: cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1, and Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, not county-assigning divisions. Where you file is not purely a question of where you sleep. Venue runs to the district where your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States sat for the 180 days before filing, or for a longer portion of that period than any other district (28 U.S.C. § 1408) — so a recent move into or out of Colorado, or a business based elsewhere, can change the answer. The district courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over cases under title 11 (28 U.S.C. § 1334).

• District of Colorado — one district, clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver
• Judge assignment is by random selection district-wide, not by county
• Venue is measured over the 180 days before filing, not on filing day alone

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 is blunt about one thing: any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you unless otherwise noted. The guide states that while you may be able to prosecute your own case, bankruptcy is a complex process and the court highly recommends retaining an attorney. On filing mechanics, the court has built two routes for self-represented people. General Procedure Order 2025-01 authorizes the Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary chapter 7 petitions — and warns that submitting a package through eSR does not itself file a petition or commence a case; the case opens only after the court receives hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121. General Procedure Order 2026-01 lets unrepresented individual debtors, creditors and adversary parties apply for CM/ECF e-filing privileges; joint debtors must both apply. Every filer must put name, address, telephone number and email below the signature line (D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4).

• eSR submission is not a filing — signed originals must reach the clerk first
• Self-represented parties may otherwise file in person, by mail, or by approved tool
• Contact information changes must be reported to the court by notice

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Every debtor attends a meeting of creditors. Under 11 U.S.C. § 341, the United States trustee convenes and presides, the judge may not attend, and before the meeting closes the trustee must orally examine a chapter 7 debtor about the consequences of a discharge, the option of a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt. The District of Colorado describes its own practice this way: the meeting is held outside the judge's presence and usually occurs between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, with the assigned trustee conducting it in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases. The format is the part that surprises people. The court states that all § 341 meetings of creditors are held by Zoom for chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases, and that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. The court publishes per-trustee Zoom meeting IDs, passcodes and dedicated phone numbers rather than a hearing room assignment.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape ordinary consumer cases. Continuing a § 341 meeting is a trustee decision, not a court decision: a request must be in writing, served on the appointed trustee, and received no later than seven days before the scheduled meeting, and the debtor should not file it with the court (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1). If the trustee consents, the debtor must immediately file a notice of continued meeting, serve it, and file a certificate of service. The same rule warns that a continuance does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability. In chapter 13, the court sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for debtor's counsel by standing order; General Procedure Order 2021-01 fixes that amount as a total fee including expenses and treats costs above a stated threshold as extraordinary, requiring a supplemental fee application. The district also maintains its own Chapter 13 Plan as Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1, listed among the required chapter 13 filings.

• 341 continuances go to the trustee, seven days out, in writing
• Chapter 13 plans use the district's own Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1
• Payment advices or an L.B.F. 1007-6.1 statement are required (L.B.R. 1007-6)

What will filing cost, and can the fee be delayed or waived?

The federal filing fee for an individual or joint chapter 7 case is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee payment (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9, effective December 1, 2023). A chapter 13 case is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus the same $78 administrative fee. The District of Colorado requires every voluntary petition to arrive with one of three things: full payment, an application to pay in installments on Official Form 103A, or — in chapter 7 only — an application to have the fee waived on Official Form 103B (General Procedure Order 2014-4(a); D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). A waiver application must include pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 plus completed Schedules I and J, and any order granting it is conditional and subject to further investigation. The court states a fee waiver is available to a chapter 7 debtor with income below 150 percent of the official poverty line who cannot pay in installments, and that the debtor carries the burden.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two or three state-law questions drive most consumer outcomes here, and they are worth settling before you choose a chapter. First, which exemption list applies to you and what it covers — exemptions decide which property a chapter 7 trustee can reach, and the court's own guide describes exempt assets as property you keep while nonexempt assets are a possible means of paying creditors. Second, the conditions attached to Colorado's homestead protection, which commonly turn on occupancy and sometimes on the filer's age or disability status. Third, how much of your wages a judgment creditor can take in Colorado, since garnishment is often what makes the timing urgent. We publish those Colorado figures with their citations on dedicated state pages rather than restating them here, because a wrong exemption number is worse than a missing one. The court also warns that timing can matter as much as eligibility, and that consequences of filing may outweigh benefits depending on your situation.

• Which exemption list applies, and what each category covers
• Homestead conditions, including any age or disability variations
• Colorado wage protection, and what filing commonly changes about it

Where can an Arapahoe County resident get help?

The district points self-represented filers to several places. Administrative Order 2020-3 authorizes attorneys, staff and volunteers of the Federal Pro Se Clinic to provide short-term limited legal services to self-represented litigants before the bankruptcy court, and amended L.B.R. 9010-1(c)(3) so an attorney may give pro bono advice through a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing documents or entering an appearance. The court's guide also lists the Colorado Bar Association's Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic, which it describes as giving limited-scope legal advice by phone or video appointment on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures, and preparation for meetings of creditors, alongside Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services. Court staff are a different matter: the guide states they are prohibited from providing advice about your rights in a case. Non-attorney petition preparers may type information only — the court states they are barred by law from giving legal advice, and it publishes a list of preparers barred in this district.

• Federal Pro Se Clinic — authorized to give short-term limited services in this court
• Court staff cannot advise you about your rights or predict a ruling
• Petition preparers may not explain how to answer legal questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to go to Denver to file or to attend my 341 meeting?

Not necessarily for either. The District of Colorado allows self-represented parties to file in person with the clerk's office, by mail, through the approved filing tool on the court's website, or by CM/ECF once an e-filing application is granted. For the meeting of creditors, the court states that all § 341 meetings in chapter 7, 12, and 13 cases are held by Zoom and that debtors should not appear in person.

Is my case assigned to a judge based on living in Arapahoe County?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district under 28 U.S.C. § 85, and the district assigns cases to judges by random selection to the extent possible under L.B.R. 1073-1. County of residence does not route your case to a particular judge or division. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations, rather than county-assigning divisions.

When do I have to complete credit counseling?

Before you file. The court's warning notice states that if you have not completed the required United States Trustee approved pre-filing credit counseling course ending on the date your petition is filed, and you do not meet the requirements for an extension, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. The court adds that most debtors cannot meet those extension conditions because counseling is readily available in this district.

Can I pay the filing fee over time?

An individual debtor may apply to pay the filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). Under General Procedure Order 2014-4(a) the first installment is due no later than fourteen days from the petition filing date, with later payments on the court's published schedule. The clerk may deny the application where a prior case in this district was dismissed with filing fees unpaid.

What happens if I submit my petition through eSR but nothing else?

Nothing is filed yet. General Procedure Order 2025-01 states that electronic submission of a petition package through eSR does not constitute the filing of a petition or the commencement of a chapter 7 case. The case opens only after the court receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Your Statement About Your Social Security Number(s) (Official Form B121).

Can a petition preparer tell me which exemptions to claim?

No. The District of Colorado states that petition preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice — they cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in bankruptcy court proceedings — and that their role is solely to type information on bankruptcy forms, which the court links without charge. The court also publishes the preparers currently barred from acting in this district.

Sources

• 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.
• 28 U.S.C. § 1408 — Venue of cases under title 11
• 28 U.S.C. § 1334 — Bankruptcy cases and proceedings
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 — Meetings of creditors and equity security holders · official source
• 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
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB GPO 2021-1
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• 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

• Build your personalised roadmap
• Find your local bankruptcy court
• Wage garnishment in Colorado and what bankruptcy changes
• The 341 meeting of creditors: what actually happens
• Continuance in bankruptcy: moving a meeting or hearing
• Find a bankruptcy lawyer by state

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 →