Lake County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Lake County?

A consumer case from Lake County is filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, administered from Denver. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, and that district is not subdivided into county-assigning divisions. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection to the extent possible, district-wide, so your county of residence does not route you to a particular judge or courthouse. Grand Junction and Pueblo appear in court materials as statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — rather than divisions that claim counties.

Residence is not the whole rule. Venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 looks to 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 immediately preceding filing, or for a longer portion of that period than any other district — so a recent move across state lines or a business operating elsewhere can change the answer even if you sleep in Leadville tonight.

• District: District of Colorado, administered from Denver
• Judge assignment: random selection district-wide, not by county
• Venue test: the greater part of the 180 days before filing

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, a Filing Without an Attorney page, and separate chapter 7 and chapter 13 petition packets with checklists. The guide states plainly that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you unless otherwise noted, and that court staff are prohibited from providing advice about your rights in a case before the court. It also says bankruptcy is a complex process and the court highly recommends retaining an attorney.

The court runs two filing channels for self-represented individuals. Under General Procedure Order 2025-01, an Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module on the court's website lets a self-represented individual prepare a voluntary chapter 7 petition. Submitting through eSR does not itself commence a case — the court opens the case only after receiving hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121. General Procedure Order 2026-01 separately lets unrepresented individual debtors, creditors and adversary parties apply for CM/ECF e-filing permission; joint debtors must both apply.

• Guide, checklists and chapter 7 and 13 petition packets are published by the court
• eSR prepares a chapter 7 petition; wet-signed forms open the case
• Unrepresented parties may apply to e-file through CM/ECF, or file in person or by mail

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

The meeting of creditors is a hearing the court describes as one all debtors must attend in any bankruptcy proceeding. It is held outside the presence of the judge, and the court's own page states it usually occurs between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, depending on the chapter. In chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases the trustee assigned to the case conducts the meeting; in chapter 11 a representative of the United States Trustee conducts it. Under 11 U.S.C. § 341 the United States trustee convenes and presides at the meeting, and the court may not preside at or attend it.

The local format is specific: all § 341 meetings of creditors in chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases in the District of Colorado are held by Zoom, and the court instructs debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest not to appear in person. That matters from Lake County, because it removes the drive. The court maintains Zoom meeting details per trustee on its 341 page.

• Held by Zoom in chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases — no in-person appearance
• Conducted by the case trustee, not the judge
• Usually 21 to 50 days after filing, per the court's own page

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape ordinary consumer practice. L.B.R. 2003-1 governs continuing a § 341 meeting: a request before the scheduled meeting must be in writing, served on the appointed trustee, and received at least seven days ahead, and it is the trustee — not the court — who approves it, so the request should not be filed with the court. The rule also warns that continuing the meeting does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability.

L.B.R. 9011-4 requires every filer, including unrepresented parties, to put their name, address, telephone number, email address and bar number if applicable below the signature line, and to notify the court promptly of changes. L.B.R. 1007-6 requires payment advices or a statement in substantial conformity with L.B.F. 1007-6.1. Chapter 13 filers use the district's own plan form, Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1, and General Procedure Order 2021-01 sets a presumptively reasonable chapter 13 debtor's attorney fee allowance under L.B.R. 2016-3.

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

The statutory filing fee is $245 for a chapter 7 individual or joint 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 administrative fee of $78 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8, effective December 1, 2023), and chapter 7 adds a trustee payment of $15 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9). Confirm current amounts on the court's Fees page before you file.

Under L.B.R. 1006-1, an individual seeking to pay in installments files Official Form 103A; a chapter 7 debtor seeking a waiver files Official Form 103B with pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 plus completed Schedules I and J, and any waiver order is conditional and subject to further investigation. General Procedure Order 2014-4(a) requires every voluntary petition to arrive with full payment, an installment application, or a waiver application — paper petitions lacking one may be rejected. The court's Chapter 7 Fee Waivers page describes the income and installment conditions.

• Chapter 7: $245 filing fee, $78 administrative fee, $15 trustee payment
• Chapter 13: $235 filing fee, $78 administrative fee
• Installments: Official Form 103A; chapter 7 waiver: Official Form 103B

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

One deadline is absolute in this district's materials: credit counseling. The court's warning notice 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 narrow conditions for completing it afterward, 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 here. Voluntary petitions are rejected when counseling was not completed in the 180-day period ending on the filing date and no § 109(h) exemption applies.

The other questions worth settling early are about your property and your paycheck under Colorado law — which exemption list applies, what conditions attach to the homestead, and how much of your wages a creditor can reach. Our Colorado pages cover those separately. This page cannot answer them from the court documents supplied here; that is a limit of this page's sources, not a gap in the law.

• Complete credit counseling before the petition is filed
• Review the Colorado exemption list and homestead conditions
• Check how Colorado wage protection applies to your pay

Where can a Lake County resident get help?

The court's guide lists free and lower-cost options based on income and assets, including Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services, and points to further resources through the Colorado Bar Association. It also describes a Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic offering limited-scope legal advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers, covering eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures, and preparation for meetings of creditors. Availability and hours change, so confirm current details with the organization directly.

Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3 permits 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 paid a non-attorney, note that petition preparers may not give legal advice, and the court publishes a list of preparers barred in this district. Arthur, our AI Navigator, can build you a free roadmap and, where a participating local firm has a placement, offer to pass your details along with your consent.

• Legal aid organizations and a bar-run pro se clinic are named in the court's guide
• Petition preparers are barred by law from giving legal advice
• A roadmap is free; any firm introduction happens only with your consent

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Denver to file from Lake County?

Not necessarily. The District of Colorado allows unrepresented parties to file in person with the Clerk's Office, by mail, or — if the court grants an e-filing application under General Procedure Order 2026-01 — electronically through CM/ECF. Self-represented chapter 7 filers may also prepare a petition through the court's eSR module, though the case opens only once hand-signed originals reach the Clerk.

Will my meeting of creditors be in person?

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 trustee assigned to your case conducts the meeting, outside the presence of the judge. The court's 341 page carries the Zoom details for each trustee.

What happens if I skip credit counseling?

The court's own warning is blunt: if you have not completed the required pre-filing counseling and you do not meet the narrow conditions for completing it after filing, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. The court also notes that in some cases you may not be allowed to file again for 180 days. Counseling is widely available in this district.

Can I pay the filing fee over time?

An individual debtor may apply to pay in installments using Official Form 103A under L.B.R. 1006-1. General Procedure Order 2014-4(a) requires every voluntary petition to be accompanied by full payment, an installment application, or a waiver application, and sets a deadline for the first installment measured from the petition date. Paper petitions that arrive without one of those options may be rejected.

Does my county decide which judge gets my case?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection to the extent possible, district-wide. There is no county-based division that routes a Lake County case to a particular judge. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — rather than divisions that claim counties.

Is a bankruptcy petition preparer the same as a lawyer?

No. The court states that petition preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice — they cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in court proceedings — and that their role is to type information onto forms that are available free. They must sign documents they prepare and furnish copies to you. 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
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney
• COB official page — Filing Without an Attorney
• COB GPO 2025-1 — Implementing Electronic Self Representation (eSR) for Self-represented, Individual Chapter 7 Debtors
• COB GPO 2026-1 — Implementing Electronic Filing for Certain Self-represented Parties
• 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
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4 — Signatures and Contact Information
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6 — Employee Payment Advices
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1 — Installment Payments and Filing Fee Waivers
• COB GPO 2014-4(a) — Installment Payment Requests and Additional Delegation to the Clerk of the Court
• COB GPO 2021-1 — Chapter 13 Fee General Procedure Order
• COB official page — Fees
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3 — In the Matter of Federal Pro Se Clinic Operations
• 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
• The 341 meeting of creditors: what actually happens
• Continuance in bankruptcy: moving a meeting or hearing
• Find a bankruptcy lawyer by state
• Bankruptcy tools and screeners

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 →