Huerfano County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Huerfano County?

Huerfano County sits in the District of Colorado. Under 28 U.S.C. § 85, "Colorado constitutes one judicial district" — there are no county-based divisions carving up the state. The district is administered from the single clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver, and under Local Bankruptcy Rule 1073-1 "Cases are assigned to judges by random selection to the extent possible," not by where you live. Grand Junction and Pueblo appear in the statute as places for holding court, meaning hearing locations, not divisions that assign cases by county.

Residence is not the whole venue rule. 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 have been located for the 180 days before filing, or for a longer portion of that period than in any other district — so a recent move out of state, or a business or assets elsewhere, can change which district is proper.

• Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, administered from Denver.
• Judge assignment: random selection district-wide (L.B.R. 1073-1).
• Venue test: the greater part of the 180 days before filing (28 U.S.C. § 1408).

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 unless otherwise noted. 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.

The court also lists what a complete filing contains. Its Requirements for a Complete Voluntary Petition names the voluntary petition, statement of financial affairs, summary of assets and liabilities, schedules, the declaration about schedules, and the creditor address mailing matrix, and directs that several items — including the means-test forms, statement of social security number, statement of intention and fee applications — be filed as separate transactions rather than inside the petition PDF.

For filing mechanics, GPO 2026-1 amended L.B.R. 5005-4(b) so unrepresented parties may file in person, through the approved filing tool on the court's website, or by mail, and may apply for CM/ECF e-filing access using the court's Self-represented E-Filing Application.

• Local rules addressed to "attorney" apply to you as a self-represented filer.
• Means-test forms and fee applications are filed separately, not inside the petition PDF.
• L.B.R. 9011-4(c) requires your name, address, telephone number and email below your signature line.

Is there an online tool for preparing a chapter 7 petition here?

Yes. Under General Procedure Order 2025-1, the court installed a local version of the Electronic Self Representation module, eSR, on its website, and effective June 2, 2025 authorized it exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing and submitting voluntary chapter 7 cases. The module allows a one-time submission of a voluntary petition and related initial pleadings.

Two limits in that order matter. First, electronic submission of a petition package through eSR does not itself constitute the filing of a petition or the commencement of a chapter 7 case. Second, the package will only be filed, and a case opened, after the court receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and the Statement About Your Social Security Numbers (Official Form B121) for the debtor and any joint debtor. The order also confirms eSR is governed by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and the Local Bankruptcy Rules, so using the tool does not relax any requirement.

• eSR is for self-represented individual chapter 7 debtors only (GPO 2025-1).
• Submitting through eSR is not the same as filing or commencing the case.
• Hand-signed originals of two forms must reach the court before the case opens.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Section 341 of the Code requires the United States trustee to convene and preside at a meeting of creditors within a reasonable time after the order for relief, and it bars the judge from presiding at or attending that meeting (11 U.S.C. § 341). In a chapter 7 case the trustee must also orally examine the debtor before the meeting concludes, covering 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 describes its own format. The court states that the meeting is a hearing all debtors must attend, is held outside the presence of the judge, 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 court further 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 judge does not preside at or attend the meeting (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)).
• The court states the meeting usually occurs 21 to 50 days after the petition is filed.
• All chapter 7, 12 and 13 meetings are held by Zoom; do not appear in person.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape day-to-day practice. L.B.R. 2003-1 governs continuing a § 341 meeting: a debtor's request must be in writing, served on the appointed trustee, and received no later than seven days before the scheduled meeting; the trustee, not the court, approves it, so the request should not be filed with the court. If the trustee consents, the debtor must immediately file a notice of continued meeting, serve it on the trustee, creditors and parties in interest, 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 under §§ 523 and 727.

L.B.R. 1007-6 requires the debtor to file the payment advices or other evidence of payment required by 11 U.S.C. § 521(a)(1)(B)(iv), or a statement conforming to local form L.B.F. 1007-6.1. For chapter 13, GPO 2021-1 sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for a debtor's attorney, applicable to cases filed on or after May 1, 2021, and the court publishes a local chapter 13 plan form, L.B.F. 3015-1.1.

• Continuance requests go to the trustee, in writing, at least seven days ahead (L.B.R. 2003-1).
• A continuance does not extend §§ 523 and 727 objection deadlines.
• Chapter 13 filers use the court's local plan form, L.B.F. 3015-1.1.

What are the filing fees, and can they be waived or paid over time?

The statutory chapter 7 filing fee is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), with a separate administrative fee of $78 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8, effective December 1, 2023) and a trustee payment of $15 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9). For chapter 13 the statutory filing fee is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus the same $78 administrative fee.

Colorado's procedure is specific. GPO 2014-4(a) requires every voluntary petition to be accompanied by full payment, an application to pay in installments (Official Form 103A), or a chapter 7 fee-waiver application (Official Form 103B), and states that paper petitions deficient as to all three are returned without a case being opened. L.B.R. 1006-1 adds that a fee-waiver application must include pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 plus completed Schedules I and J, and that any waiver order is conditional and subject to further investigation. The court's fee-waiver page explains the waiver turns on income below 150 percent of the poverty line and inability to pay in installments.

• Chapter 7: $245 statutory fee, $78 administrative fee, $15 trustee payment.
• Chapter 13: $235 statutory fee plus the $78 administrative fee.
• Installment payments can be made online by debit card, PayPal or ACH per the court's Online Payments page.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two things the court treats as prerequisites come first. The District of Colorado's credit counseling warning states that if you have not completed the required United States Trustee-approved pre-filing counseling course ending on the date your petition is filed, and you do not meet the requirements for a post-filing extension, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. The court's own page repeats that voluntary petitions will be rejected if counseling is not completed during the 180-day period ending on the filing date unless a § 109(h)(3) or (h)(4) exemption is met.

Beyond that, Colorado law shapes what you keep and what a creditor can take from your paycheck, and those are worth settling before you file rather than after. This page cannot answer them from the supplied sources, so use our Colorado pages for the published figures and conditions: exemption-list choices, homestead conditions, and wage protection. Federal law is not silent on these subjects; this packet simply does not carry the state figures.

• Credit counseling must be completed in the 180 days ending on your filing date.
• Colorado exemption and wage-protection figures live on our Colorado pages, with their conditions.

Where can a Huerfano County resident get help?

The court names free and low-cost options. 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 provide pro bono services and advice under a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing a document or entering an appearance. The pro se guide also describes a Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic giving limited-scope advice by phone or video appointment, and lists Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services.

Be careful with non-attorney help. The court's petition-preparer page states that preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice, cannot explain how to answer legal questions, must sign and identify themselves on documents they prepare, and cannot receive payment from the debtor for court fees. The court also publishes a list of preparers barred in this district.

Arthur, our AI Navigator, can walk you through what applies to your situation and, if you ask, pass your details to a local firm — only with your explicit consent.

• Court staff are prohibited from providing advice about your rights in a case.
• Petition preparers may not give legal advice or take money for court fees.
• The court publishes a list of petition preparers barred in the District of Colorado.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Denver for my bankruptcy case?

Not for the meeting of creditors. The District of Colorado 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. The court is administered from Denver and the statute names Grand Junction and Pueblo as additional places for holding court. Hearings before a judge are set case by case.

Does my case go to Pueblo because it is closer to Huerfano County?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district under 28 U.S.C. § 85, with a single clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide under L.B.R. 1073-1, not by county. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — rather than divisions that assign cases geographically.

What happens if I file without finishing credit counseling?

The court's own warning states the case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge, unless you meet the narrow post-filing extension requirements. The court adds that voluntary petitions will be rejected if counseling was not completed during the 180-day period ending on the filing date, absent a § 109(h)(3) or (h)(4) exemption. The court also notes most debtors cannot meet those conditions because counseling is readily available here.

Can I pay the filing fee in installments?

An individual debtor may apply to pay in installments using Official Form 103A, and GPO 2014-4(a) requires that application, full payment, or a chapter 7 waiver application to accompany the petition. The court's Online Payments page allows installment payments by debit card, PayPal or ACH. Confirm current amounts and timing on the court's fee pages before you file.

Can I use the court's eSR tool and consider my case filed?

No. GPO 2025-1 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 package is filed and a case opened only after the court receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121 for the debtor and any joint debtor.

Can someone who is not a lawyer prepare my petition?

A bankruptcy petition preparer may type information onto bankruptcy forms, but the court states preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice, cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in court proceedings, must sign and identify themselves on documents they prepare, and cannot receive payment from the debtor for court fees. The court publishes a list of preparers barred 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
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 — Meetings of creditors and equity security holders · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 — Debtor's duties · official source
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney
• COB official material — Requirements for a Complete Voluntary Petition
• 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 page — Online Payments
• 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 7 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1) · official source
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B) · official source
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9

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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 →