Jefferson County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Jefferson County?

Jefferson County cases go to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, which the court administers from Denver as its single clerk's office and divisional seat. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, and the court assigns cases to judges by random selection district-wide rather than by the county you live in. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — not divisions that pull certain counties.

That means there is no Jefferson County-specific docket, judge or set of local rules. The same local bankruptcy rules, general procedure orders and official packets apply to a Golden filer and a Durango filer alike.

Venue is a separate question from which court is nearest. A case may be commenced where the debtor's 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 filing (28 U.S.C. § 1408), so a recent move into or out of Colorado, or a business centered in another state, can change where a case belongs.

• One district, administered from Denver; no county-based divisions
• Judge assignment is by random selection district-wide
• Venue looks back over the 180 days before filing, not just at your current address

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 cannot give legal advice about your rights in a case before the court. The guide also says the court highly recommends retaining an attorney, because bankruptcy is a complex process.

The court has authorized an Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module for self-represented individuals preparing a voluntary Chapter 7 petition. General Procedure Order 2025-01 is explicit 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.

Unrepresented parties may file in person with the Clerk's Office or by mail, and may request permission to file electronically through CM/ECF using the court's Self-represented E-Filing Application (GPO 2026-01).

• Local rules written for "attorney" apply to you when you self-file
• eSR submission is preparation, not filing — signed originals open the case
• Filed documents must carry your name, address, phone, and email below the signature line (D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4)

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Every debtor must attend the meeting of creditors. The court's own page explains that 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. In Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases the trustee assigned to the case conducts it; in Chapter 11 a representative of the United States Trustee does.

This district holds all § 341 meetings of creditors by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases, and instructs debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest not to appear in person. The court publishes trustee-specific meeting IDs, passcodes and dedicated phone numbers.

The statute itself sets what happens there: the United States trustee convenes and presides, the court may not preside or attend, and before the meeting concludes the trustee examines a Chapter 7 debtor orally about the consequences of discharge, the option of a different chapter, and the effect of reaffirming a debt (11 U.S.C. § 341).

• Held by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 — do not appear in person
• Conducted by the case trustee, not a judge
• Typically 21 to 50 days after filing, depending on the chapter

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules and orders shape day-to-day practice in a consumer case.

Continuing the § 341 meeting runs through the trustee, not the court. A written request must reach the appointed trustee at least seven days before the scheduled meeting, and it is the trustee who approves it; if the trustee consents, the debtor must immediately file a notice of continued meeting, serve it, and file a certificate of service. A continuance does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1).

Payment advices are governed locally as well: the debtor must file the required payment advices or other evidence of payment, or a statement concerning them in substantial conformity with the court's local form (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6).

Chapter 13 has a district-wide fee order. Under General Procedure Order 2021-01 the presumptively reasonable fee allowance for a Chapter 13 debtor's attorney is set as a total fee including expenses, covering all costs through confirmation, with extraordinary costs handled by supplemental application.

• Trustee, not the court, approves a pre-meeting § 341 continuance (L.B.R. 2003-1)
• A local form covers the statement about payment advices (L.B.R. 1007-6)
• A Chapter 13 plan is filed on the court's own Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1
• A pro se clinic may provide short-term limited legal services in this court (Administrative Order 2020-3)

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

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)). Each carries an additional $78 administrative fee under the Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8, and a Chapter 7 case also carries a $15 trustee payment under Item 9.

The court requires every voluntary petition to come with one of three things: full payment, an application to pay in installments (Official Form 103A), or — for a Chapter 7 individual — an application to have the fee waived (Official Form 103B). GPO 2014-4(a) authorizes the clerk to reject a paper petition that satisfies none of these, and provides that an electronically filed case may be dismissed when the supporting documents or payment are not filed the same day as the petition.

A fee waiver turns on income below 150 percent of the official poverty line for your family size and an inability to pay in installments, with the burden on the debtor.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two sets of questions decide different things, and it helps to keep them apart.

The first is federal and procedural, and the packet above covers much of it: which chapter, whether your paperwork is complete, how the fee gets paid, and when the meeting of creditors falls.

The second set is about Colorado property law — which exemption list you may use, what conditions attach to the homestead exemption, and how much of your wages state law protects from garnishment. Those answers change the practical shape of a case, and we publish them on dedicated Colorado pages rather than restating them here. This page is built from the District of Colorado's own rules, orders and official materials plus the federal provisions in our corpus; it cannot answer those Colorado property questions from those sources. That is a limit of this page's evidence, not a statement that the law is silent.

The court's pro se guide does note that exempt assets are property you can keep and nonexempt assets are a possible means of paying creditors, which is why the exemption question matters before you file rather than after.

Where can a Jefferson County resident get help?

The court points self-represented filers to several places. Its Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney lists the Colorado Bar Association's Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic, which gives limited scope legal advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and forms, and preparing for meetings of creditors. The same guide lists Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services as free or lower-cost options depending on income and assets.

Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3 authorizes Federal Pro Se Clinic attorneys, staff and volunteers to provide short-term limited legal services to pro se litigants before the bankruptcy court.

If you want a private attorney, Arthur can walk through your situation and build a roadmap, and where a participating firm covers this county he can offer an introduction with your consent. Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

• Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic — limited scope advice by phone or video
• Legal aid organizations listed in the court's own pro se guide
• A petition preparer may type forms but is barred by law from giving legal advice (11 U.S.C. § 110 per the court's petition-preparer page)

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bankruptcy court in Jefferson County?

No. Colorado is a single judicial district with one bankruptcy court, administered from its sole clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide rather than by county, so there is no Jefferson County division or county-specific docket. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations only.

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

Generally no. The court 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 publishes meeting IDs, passcodes and dedicated phone numbers by trustee. Hearings before a judge are a separate matter from the § 341 meeting.

Can I prepare my Chapter 7 petition online?

The District of Colorado has installed an Electronic Self Representation module on its website for self-represented individual Chapter 7 debtors to prepare a voluntary petition. Submitting the package through that module does not file the 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.

What happens if I file without the credit counseling certificate?

The court warns that if you have not completed the required United States Trustee approved pre-filing credit counseling course and you do not meet the statutory requirements for completing it after filing, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. The court's notice states that most debtors cannot meet those conditions because counseling is readily available in this district.

Can I pay the Colorado filing fee over time?

An individual debtor may apply to pay the petition filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). The court's general procedure order requires the application to accompany the petition and authorizes the clerk to enter orders setting specific amounts and dates. The court also accepts installment payments online by debit card, PayPal or ACH.

Does bankruptcy stay on my credit report forever?

No. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a consumer reporting agency may not include a case under title 11 that, from the date of entry of the order for relief, antedates the report by more than 10 years (15 U.S.C. § 1681c). A withdrawn filing must be reported as withdrawn once the agency receives documentation certifying the withdrawal.

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
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• 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
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• COB GPO 2021-1
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official page — Online Payments
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• 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
• 15 U.S.C. § 1681c — Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports
• 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
• The 341 Meeting of Creditors: What Actually Happens
• Continuance in Bankruptcy: Moving a Meeting or Hearing
• Filing Bankruptcy in Arapahoe County, Colorado
• Statutes and rules library

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 →