Custer County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Custer County?

A Custer County case is filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Under 28 U.S.C. § 85, Colorado constitutes one judicial district. The district is undivided and administered from the sole clerk's office at Denver, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide, not by county. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, which means hearings can be scheduled there, but they are not county-assigning divisions.

Where a case may be filed is a separate question from which judge hears it. Venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 follows the district in which your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States were located for the greater part of the 180 days before you file. Residence alone is not the whole rule: a recent move across state lines, or a business or assets elsewhere, can change which district is proper. District courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over cases under title 11 (28 U.S.C. § 1334).

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, which states that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you if you file without one, and that court staff cannot give legal advice. The court also publishes Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 voluntary petition packets listing the required forms and a checklist.

Two filing routes exist for self-represented individuals. Under General Procedure Order 2025-01, the court's Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module is authorized for self-represented individual Chapter 7 debtors to prepare and submit a voluntary petition; submission through eSR does not by itself file a petition or commence a case, and the case opens only after the court receives hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121. Separately, General Procedure Order 2026-01 amends Local Bankruptcy Rule 5005-4(b) so unrepresented individual debtors, creditors and adversary-proceeding parties may apply to e-file through CM/ECF; joint debtors must both apply.

• L.B.R. 9011-4 requires your name, address, telephone number and email address below your signature line, and prompt notice of any change.
• L.B.R. 1007-6 requires payment advices or a statement in substantial conformity with L.B.F. 1007-6.1.
• Administrative Order 2020-3 allows an attorney to give limited pro bono help through a court-approved program without signing your documents.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Section 341 requires the United States trustee to convene and preside at a meeting of creditors within a reasonable time after the order for relief, and the court may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). Before the meeting ends, the trustee must examine a Chapter 7 debtor orally about the consequences of seeking a discharge, the ability to file under a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt.

The District of Colorado states that the meeting is a hearing all debtors must attend, that it is held outside the judge's presence, and that depending on the chapter it usually occurs between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed. In Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases the assigned trustee conducts the meeting; in Chapter 11 a representative of the United States Trustee does. The court states that all § 341 meetings in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases are held by Zoom, and that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape the mechanics rather than the substance of your case. Local Bankruptcy Rule 2003-1 governs continuing the § 341 meeting: a written request must reach the appointed trustee no later than seven days before the scheduled meeting, it is the trustee and not the court who approves it, and if the trustee consents you must file a notice of the continued meeting, serve it, and file a certificate of service. That rule also warns that a continuance does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability.

On the Chapter 13 side, General Procedure Order 2021-01 sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for a Chapter 13 debtor's attorney, covering costs through confirmation, with extraordinary costs handled by supplemental application. The court's Chapter 13 petition packet also requires a Chapter 13 Plan on Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1. Local Bankruptcy Rules, forms and appendices were adopted by Administrative Order 2021-2.

What does it cost to file, and what if you cannot pay up front?

The Chapter 7 filing fee is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee surcharge under the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule. The Chapter 13 filing fee is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)), plus the same $78 administrative fee. The court's published fee page lists totals and other charges; check it for the current combined amount before you file.

Two relief routes exist. Under L.B.R. 1006-1, an individual may apply to pay in installments on Official Form 103A, or, in Chapter 7 only, apply for a waiver on Official Form 103B with pay advices and completed Schedules I and J; any waiver order is conditional and subject to further investigation. The court states a Chapter 7 fee may be waived for a debtor whose income is below 150 percent of the official poverty line for the family size involved and who cannot pay in installments. General Procedure Order 2014-4(a) requires every petition to arrive with full payment, an installment application, or a waiver application.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Credit counseling comes first. The court's own 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 will not meet those conditions because counseling is readily available in this district. Its credit counseling page points to the Department of Justice list of approved providers.

The other questions worth settling early are about Colorado property and income rules: which exemption list applies, what conditions attach to the homestead, and what wage protection looks like after a judgment. This packet of court and federal sources does not supply those figures, so this page cannot answer them from the supplied sources; our Colorado pages address them separately. Also consider whether a petition preparer is involved: the court states that preparers are barred from giving legal advice and must sign and identify themselves on documents they prepare.

Where can a Custer County resident get help?

The court's pro se guide names free or lower-cost options depending on income and assets, including Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid, and Weld County Legal Services, and notes that more resources are available through the Colorado Bar Association. The guide describes a Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic giving limited-scope advice to people without lawyers on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and preparing for the meeting of creditors. Administrative Order 2020-3 authorizes Federal Pro Se Clinic attorneys, staff and volunteers to provide short-term limited legal services to pro se litigants before the court.

The same guide says that while you may be able to prosecute your own case, bankruptcy is a complex process and the court highly recommends retaining an attorney. If you want to talk a situation through first, Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can help you build a roadmap and, if you ask, pass your details to a participating firm admitted in this district.

Frequently asked questions

Does my case get heard in Pueblo or Grand Junction because they are closer?

Those cities are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearings may be held there, but they are not divisions that assign cases by county. Colorado is one judicial district administered from the sole clerk's office at Denver, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1. Where a particular hearing is scheduled is a separate matter from where the case is filed.

Can I file in Colorado if I moved here recently?

Venue depends on the 180 days before filing, not on where you sleep tonight. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, 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 were located for that period, or for a longer portion of it than any other district. A recent move or a business elsewhere can point to a different district.

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

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

What happens if I skip credit counseling before filing?

The court's warning notice states that if the required pre-filing counseling was not completed ending on the date the petition is filed, and the conditions for completing it afterward are not met, the case will be dismissed and no discharge will be entered. It adds that in some cases a debtor may not be allowed to file another case for 180 days, and that protection in a new case filed within a year may be limited.

Can someone who is not a lawyer prepare my paperwork?

Bankruptcy petition preparers may type information onto bankruptcy forms, which the court notes are available free. The court states they are barred by law from giving legal advice, cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in proceedings, must sign documents they prepare and furnish copies to the debtor, and cannot sign for the debtor or take payment of court fees. The court also publishes a list of preparers barred in this district.

Is there a way to file documents electronically without an attorney?

Yes, through two separate routes. General Procedure Order 2025-01 authorizes the eSR module for self-represented individual Chapter 7 debtors to prepare and submit a petition package, though that submission alone does not open a case. General Procedure Order 2026-01 lets unrepresented individual debtors, creditors and adversary-proceeding parties apply for CM/ECF e-filing permission; joint debtors must both apply.

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
• 28 U.S.C. § 1334
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 · 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 Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2021-2
• 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 page — Fees
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Voluntary Petition Packet

Related

• Build your personalised roadmap
• Find your local bankruptcy court
• Wage Garnishment in Colorado: What the Law Says 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 →