Delta County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Delta County?

A Delta County case goes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, and the district is administered from a single clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide, not by the county you live in (L.B.R. 1073-1: "Cases are assigned to judges by random selection to the extent possible"). Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — rather than divisions that take cases from particular counties.

That means there is no separate Delta County docket, no county-specific local rule, and no western-slope division to file in. The district-level material is what applies to you.

Which district is correct is a venue question, and venue is not decided by your mailing address alone. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 a case may be commenced where your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States were located for the 180 days immediately before filing, or for a longer part of that period than anywhere else.

• A recent move into or out of Colorado can shift the correct district.
• A business or principal assets in another state can also change the analysis.
• Residence is one of four listed grounds, 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 a Filing Without an Attorney page listing the forms required to start a case. The Guide states that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you if you file without one, and that court staff are prohibited from providing advice to parties about their rights in a case before the court.

The court has also built filing paths specifically for self-represented individuals. Under GPO 2025-1, an Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module is authorized exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary Chapter 7 petitions. The order is explicit that submitting a package through eSR does not itself commence a case: the court opens the case only after receiving completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121.

GPO 2026-1 amended L.B.R. 5005-4(b) so unrepresented individual debtors, creditors and parties to adversary proceedings may request permission to file through CM/ECF using the Self-represented E-Filing Application; joint debtors must both apply.

• Unrepresented parties may otherwise file in person with the Clerk's Office, by mail, or through the website filing tool (GPO 2026-1).
• L.B.R. 9011-4(c) requires your name, address, telephone number and email below your signature line, and prompt notice of any change.
• Administrative Order 2020-3 allows Federal Pro Se Clinic attorneys, staff and volunteers to provide short-term limited legal services to pro se litigants before the court.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Section 341(a) requires the United States trustee to convene and preside at a meeting of creditors within a reasonable time after the order for relief, and § 341(c) bars the judge from presiding at or attending it. In a Chapter 7 case the trustee must orally examine you before the meeting concludes, including about the consequences of seeking a discharge and the effect of reaffirming a debt (11 U.S.C. § 341(d)).

The District of Colorado describes its own format plainly: 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's page also states the meeting is held outside the presence of the judge and, depending on the chapter, 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.

For a Delta County resident, the practical consequence is that attendance does not require travelling to Denver.

• A continuance requested before the meeting goes to the trustee in writing, not to the court, and must be received at least seven days before the scheduled meeting (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1(a)).
• A continuance does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability (L.B.R. 2003-1(c)).
• Creditors holding consumer debts may appear and participate without an attorney (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

The district's local rules and general procedure orders change the mechanics around a filing rather than the Bankruptcy Code itself. The Code is the same in Delta County as anywhere else; what varies is procedure and Colorado law.

Several published items matter to an individual filer. L.B.R. 1006-1 sets the applications for paying the fee in installments (Official Form 103A) and for a Chapter 7 fee waiver (Official Form 103B), and requires pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 plus completed Schedules I and J with a waiver request. L.B.R. 1007-6 requires filing the payment advices required by § 521(a)(1)(B)(iv) or a conforming statement. GPO 2014-4(a) requires every voluntary petition to arrive with one of three payment options and authorizes the clerk to reject or dismiss filings that do not comply.

Chapter 13 has its own district-wide material: GPO 2021-1 sets a presumptively reasonable attorney fee allowance under L.B.R. 2016-3, and the Chapter 13 petition packet requires the local Chapter 13 Plan, Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1.

• GPO 2015-1 stays the court's automatic dismissal process for unpaid filing fees for 180 days where the trustee has filed a Notice of Possible Dividends.
• COB official material — Requirements for a Complete Voluntary Petition lists the documents that belong in the petition PDF and the order they should appear in.
• Administrative Order 2021-2 adopted the amended Local Bankruptcy Rules, Forms and Appendices effective December 1, 2021.

What do the filing fees cost, and what if you cannot pay?

The statutory fees are federal and do not vary by county. A Chapter 7 case carries a $245 filing fee (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee surcharge collected with it. A Chapter 13 case carries a $235 filing fee (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus the $78 administrative fee. Check the court's Fees page for the current total it collects before you send payment.

If paying at once is not possible, L.B.R. 1006-1(a) covers an application to pay in installments, and GPO 2014-4(a) requires the first installment no later than fourteen days from the petition filing date, with later payments following the court's published schedule. The clerk may deny an installment application where official records show a prior Colorado filing dismissed with fees unpaid.

A Chapter 7 waiver is narrower. The court's Chapter 7 Fee Waivers page states the fee may be waived for an individual debtor with income less than 150 percent of the official poverty line for the family size involved who is also unable to pay in installments, and that the debtor bears the burden of showing the application should be granted.

• Installment payments for Chapter 7, 11 and 13 filing fees can be made by debit card, PayPal or ACH through the court's Online Payments form.
• Any order granting a fee waiver is conditional and subject to further investigation (L.B.R. 1006-1(b)(3)).
• GPO 2014-4(b), as amended, requires a supplemental information exhibit with every fee waiver application.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two sets of questions are worth resolving before the petition goes in. The first is procedural and sits in the packet: credit counseling, and the completeness of your documents.

The court's warning notice is blunt about counseling. It states that if you have not completed a 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 — and that most debtors will not be able to meet the exception conditions because counseling is readily available in this district. The Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses page adds that voluntary petitions will be rejected where counseling was not completed in the 180-day period ending on the filing date and no § 109(h) exemption is met.

The second set is substantive Colorado law: which exemption list applies to you, what conditions attach to the homestead exemption, and how Colorado treats wages. This page cannot answer those from the sources supplied here — the pages linked below cover them.

• 11 U.S.C. § 521 lists the debtor's filing duties, including the schedules, the statement of financial affairs, and the credit counseling certificate under § 521(b)(1).
• Under § 521(i)(1), failing to file the information required by § 521(a)(1) within 45 days of the petition can result in automatic dismissal.
• Official Form 106C is where property claimed as exempt is listed in this district's petition packets.

Where can a Delta County resident get help?

The court identifies free and low-cost options rather than recommending anyone. Its Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney names the Colorado Bar Association's Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic, which it describes as giving limited scope legal advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers, counselling on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and preparation for meetings of creditors. The same Guide lists Colorado Legal Services and several volunteer legal aid organizations, and 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.

If you pay a non-attorney to prepare documents, the court's Bankruptcy Petition Preparers page states that preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice, cannot explain how to answer legal questions, must sign documents they prepare, and cannot receive payment from the debtor for court fees. The same page lists preparers currently barred in the District of Colorado.

Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can help you organise what you have and build a roadmap; if you want an introduction to a local firm, you can ask for one and consent separately.

• The Guide states court staff cannot provide advice about your rights in a case before the court.
• PACER fee exemptions are available to indigent persons and others on application to the Clerk's Office.
• A roadmap built here is information and document organisation, not legal advice or representation.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Denver to file or to attend my meeting?

Not for the meeting of creditors. The court states that all § 341 meetings for Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases are held by Zoom and that debtors, counsel and creditors should not appear in person. For filing, GPO 2026-1 lets unrepresented parties file in person, by mail, or through the approved filing tool on the court's website, and self-represented parties may apply for CM/ECF access.

Is there a Grand Junction division that takes Delta County cases?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, administered from the sole clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — not divisions that take cases from particular counties. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1 rather than by the county you live in.

What happens if I file before finishing credit counseling?

The court's warning notice states that your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge if the counseling was not completed ending on the date the petition is filed and you do not meet the statutory extension requirements. It also says most debtors cannot meet those conditions because counseling is readily available in this district, and the Credit Counseling page says such petitions will be rejected.

Can the court waive my Chapter 7 filing fee?

Possibly. The court's Chapter 7 Fee Waivers page describes a waiver for an individual debtor whose income is less than 150 percent of the official poverty line for the family size involved and who is unable to pay the fee in installments. The debtor carries the burden of showing the application should be granted, and L.B.R. 1006-1(b)(3) says any order granting one is conditional and subject to further investigation.

How soon after filing is the meeting of creditors?

The court's page states the meeting usually occurs between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, depending on the chapter, and that the assigned trustee conducts it in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases. If you need it moved, L.B.R. 2003-1(a) requires a written request served on the trustee and received at least seven days before the scheduled meeting; the trustee, not the court, approves it.

Does Colorado law or federal law decide what property I keep?

Exemptions involve both, and this page cannot resolve them from the sources supplied here. Your schedules list property claimed as exempt on Official Form 106C, and the District of Colorado's packets require it. For Colorado's exemption-list choices, homestead conditions and wage protection, see the Colorado pages linked below rather than relying on a general figure.

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
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1 — Continuance of Meeting of Creditors and Equity Security Holders
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney
• COB official page — Filing 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. 9011-4
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB Amended GPO 2014-4(b)
• COB GPO 2015-1
• COB GPO 2021-1
• COB official page — Fees
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official page — Online Payments
• COB official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official material — Requirements for a Complete Voluntary Petition
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
• COB official page — PACER Fee Exemptions

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 →