Larimer County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Larimer County?

Larimer County sits in the District of Colorado, which is the only federal judicial district in the state — "Colorado constitutes one judicial district." There is no Northern or Fort Collins division that claims your case by county. 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," rather than by where you live. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations, not county-assigning divisions.

Venue is a separate question from the court's identity, and it is not decided by your current address alone: 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 the 180 days before filing, or for the greater part of that period than anywhere else (28 U.S.C. § 1408). A recent move into or out of Colorado, or a business centered in another state, can change the answer.

• District: 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 a Filing Without an Attorney page, and both say the same thing plainly: any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you if you are filing for yourself. The court's own guide states that bankruptcy is a complex process and recommends retaining an attorney, while still setting out what a self-represented filer must do.

Two local tools exist specifically for people without counsel. Since June 2, 2025, the court's Electronic Self Representation module (eSR) is authorized exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary Chapter 7 petitions (GPO 2025-1). Submitting a package through eSR does not file the petition or commence the case — the court opens a Chapter 7 case only after it receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121. Separately, under GPO 2026-1 unrepresented parties may file in person or by mail, or request CM/ECF e-filing permission using the Self-represented E-Filing Application.

• Local rule references to "attorney" apply to a self-represented filer
• eSR is limited to self-represented individual Chapter 7 petitions
• eSR submission is not a filing until signed originals reach the clerk
• Joint debtors must both seek permission to e-file

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Federal law requires the meeting: within a reasonable time after the order for relief, the United States trustee convenes and presides at a meeting of creditors, and the bankruptcy judge may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). In a Chapter 7 case the trustee must orally examine the debtor before the meeting concludes, covering the consequences of seeking a discharge, the option of a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt.

The District of Colorado adds a format rule that matters to anyone planning travel from Larimer County. The court's official page 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. That page also explains the meeting 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.

• Convened and presided over by the U.S. trustee; the judge may not attend (11 U.S.C. § 341)
• Held by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases — do not appear in person
• Usually 21 to 50 days after the petition, per the court's page
• Attendance is required of every debtor

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape the mechanics rather than the law. L.B.R. 2003-1 governs continuing a § 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 the request should not be filed with the court. If the trustee consents, the debtor must immediately file and serve a notice of continued meeting. The same rule warns that continuing the meeting does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability under §§ 523 and 727.

L.B.R. 9011-4 requires every filed document to carry the filer's name, address, telephone number, email address and bar number if applicable below the signature line, and prompt notice of any change. L.B.R. 1007-6 requires the debtor to file the payment advices required by 11 U.S.C. § 521(a)(1)(B)(iv) or a conforming statement. The district also uses a local Chapter 13 Plan form (L.B.F. 3015-1.1) and, under GPO 2021-1, a presumptively reasonable Chapter 13 attorney fee allowance set by the court.

• Continuance requests go to the trustee, not the court (L.B.R. 2003-1)
• Contact information must appear below every signature (L.B.R. 9011-4)
• Pay advices or a conforming statement must be filed (L.B.R. 1007-6)
• Chapter 13 filers use the district's local plan form

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

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 individual or joint case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). Each carries a separate $78 administrative fee, and Chapter 7 adds a $15 trustee payment (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9, effective December 1, 2023). The court's fee page lists the current amounts it collects; confirm there before paying.

Under GPO 2014-4(a), every voluntary petition in this district must arrive with full payment, an application to pay in installments (Official Form 103A), or — for qualified Chapter 7 debtors — an application for waiver (Official Form 103B). A paper petition lacking one of those is returned and no case opens; electronically, failure to file the supporting documents or fee the same day leads to dismissal. L.B.R. 1006-1 requires pay advices plus completed Schedules I and J with a waiver application. The court may waive the Chapter 7 fee for an individual with income below 150 percent of the poverty line who cannot pay in installments.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

One requirement comes before everything else and cannot be fixed later. The court's notice to all debtors states that credit counseling from a United States Trustee approved agency must be completed during the 180-day period ending on the date the individual voluntary petition is filed; without it, and without meeting the narrow § 109(h)(3) conditions, the case will be dismissed and no discharge issues. Voluntary petitions are rejected on that basis, and attorney electronic submissions are dismissed.

Two Colorado questions are worth settling before you sign. The first is which exemption list applies to you and what it covers; the second is how Colorado treats your home equity and your wages while a creditor is collecting. This page cannot answer those from the sources supplied here, so we have published them separately rather than approximate them. The federal Code is the same in every Colorado county — only venue, local rules and state law vary, and a figure quoted from memory is the kind of error that costs a house.

• Complete approved credit counseling in the 180 days ending on your filing date
• Decide which exemption list you are using before you complete Schedule C
• Understand your home equity position before filing
• Know how wage protection works while collection is pending

Where can a Larimer County resident get help?

The court names free and low-cost options in its pro se guide. The Colorado Bar Association operates a Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic giving limited-scope legal advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers, counseling on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and preparation for meetings of creditors. Under Administrative Order 2020-3, attorneys, staff and volunteers associated with the Federal Pro Se Clinic may provide short-term limited legal services to self-represented litigants before the bankruptcy court, and an attorney may give pro bono advice through a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing documents or entering an appearance. The guide also lists Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services.

Court staff cannot help with the substance. The guide states plainly that staff are prohibited from providing advice about your rights in a case before the court. Non-attorney petition preparers may type information onto forms only; they are barred by law from giving legal advice, and this district has barred several named preparers outright.

• Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic — limited-scope advice by phone or video
• Federal Pro Se Clinic volunteers may give short-term limited services (AO 2020-3)
• Legal aid organizations listed in the court's pro se guide
• Petition preparers may not give legal advice (11 U.S.C. § 110)

Frequently asked questions

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

Not for the meeting. The court's official page states all § 341 meetings of creditors in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases are held by Zoom, and that debtors, counsel and creditors should not appear in person. For filing itself, unrepresented parties may file in person with the clerk's office or by mail, or may request permission to e-file through CM/ECF (GPO 2026-1).

Does Larimer County have its own bankruptcy division or assigned judge?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, administered from the sole clerk's office at Denver, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide to the extent possible (L.B.R. 1073-1). Your county does not determine your judge. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations only, not county-assigning divisions.

What happens if I skip the credit counseling course?

The court's notice is explicit: if you have not completed approved counseling in the 180-day period ending on your filing date and you do not meet the requirements for a post-filing extension, the case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. In some cases a new filing may be barred for 180 days, and stay protection in a later case may be limited.

Can I use the court's eSR tool to file a Chapter 13 case?

No. Under GPO 2025-1, the eSR module is authorized exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing and submitting voluntary Chapter 7 cases. Chapter 13 filers use the district's Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet, which includes the local Chapter 13 Plan form (L.B.F. 3015-1.1), and file in person, by mail, or electronically with permission.

Can I pay the filing fee over time?

An individual debtor may apply to pay the filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A (L.B.R. 1006-1). In this district the petition must arrive with full payment, an installment application, or a Chapter 7 waiver application, or the paper petition is returned and no case opens (GPO 2014-4(a)). The court also accepts installment payments online by debit card, PayPal or ACH.

Is a non-attorney petition preparer allowed to help me?

A bankruptcy petition preparer may type information onto bankruptcy forms, which are available free from the court. Preparers must follow 11 U.S.C. § 110, must sign and identify themselves on documents they prepare, and are barred by law from giving legal advice or assisting in court proceedings. The District of Colorado has entered orders barring several named preparers.

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 page — Filing Without an Attorney
• COB GPO 2025-1
• COB GPO 2026-1
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• 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. 1006-1 — Installment Payments and Filing Fee Waivers
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6 — Employee Payment Advices
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB GPO 2021-1
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official page — Fees
• COB official page — Online Payments
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers

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
• Statutes and rules library
• 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 →