Otero County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Otero County?

Otero County cases belong to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, administered from Denver. Under 28 U.S.C. § 85, "Colorado constitutes one judicial district," so there is no county-by-county division to sort filers into. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection across the whole district, not by where you live, and Grand Junction and Pueblo function as places for holding court rather than as county-assigning divisions.

That means the district-level material on this page is what applies to Otero County. The court publishes no separate Otero County rule set, and nothing here is specific to your county beyond the assignment itself.

Venue is a separate question from assignment. A case may be commenced where your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets have been located for the 180 days before filing, or for the greater part of that period than anywhere else (28 U.S.C. § 1408) — so a recent move or a business in another state can change the answer, and residence alone is not the whole rule.

What does this court require of someone filing without a lawyer?

The court 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 plainly 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.

Since June 2, 2025, the court's Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module is authorized for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary Chapter 7 petitions (GPO 2025-1). Submitting a package through eSR does not itself file a petition or commence a case; the court opens the case only after it receives hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121.

Unrepresented parties may also file in person or by mail, or apply to e-file through CM/ECF using the Self-represented E-Filing Application (GPO 2026-1). Filed documents must carry your name, address, telephone number and email below the signature line (L.B.R. 9011-4).

• Credit counseling from an approved agency is required before filing; the court's warning notice says a case filed without it will be dismissed unless a narrow statutory exception is met.
• Petition preparers may type your forms but are barred from giving legal advice (COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers).
• The court lists free and lower-cost legal help, including a Colorado Bar Association pro se bankruptcy clinic.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Every debtor must attend a meeting of creditors. The United States trustee convenes and presides at that meeting, and the court may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). Before the meeting concludes in a Chapter 7 case, the trustee orally examines the debtor about the consequences of seeking a discharge, the option of filing under a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt.

The District of Colorado holds all § 341 meetings of creditors by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases, and states that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. Its page describes the meeting as usually occurring between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, depending on the chapter, with the case trustee conducting it in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases.

If the meeting needs to move, the trustee — not the court — approves a debtor's request, and the written request must reach the trustee no later than seven days before the scheduled meeting (L.B.R. 2003-1).

• A continuance of the meeting does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability (L.B.R. 2003-1).
• You must give the trustee a copy or transcript of your most recent federal income tax return no later than 7 days before the first scheduled meeting (11 U.S.C. § 521).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several district-level orders shape how a Colorado case actually runs. Every voluntary petition must arrive with one of three payment options: the full fee, an application to pay in installments, or a Chapter 7 fee waiver application (GPO 2014-4(a)). A paper petition missing all three is returned and no case is opened; an electronically filed one that lacks the supporting documents on the same date is dismissed for failing the minimum requirements of L.B.R. 1002-1.

The court has also delegated routine fee rulings to the clerk, set the first installment at no later than fourteen days from the petition date, and stayed its automatic dismissal process for non-payment for 180 days where a trustee has filed a Notice of Possible Dividends (GPO 2015-1).

For Chapter 13, the district uses a local plan form — Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1 — and GPO 2021-1 sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for debtor's counsel in cases filed on or after May 1, 2021.

• Payment advices or a conforming statement must be filed (L.B.R. 1007-6).
• Pro bono attorneys may give limited-scope help through the Federal Pro Se Clinic without entering an appearance (Administrative Order 2020-3).

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

The statutory filing fee is $245 for an individual or joint Chapter 7 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)) and $235 for Chapter 13 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). The Judiciary's fee schedule adds an administrative fee of $78 for each chapter, plus a $15 trustee payment in Chapter 7. The court's own fee page lists the combined totals it collects, so confirm the current amount there before you pay.

An individual debtor who cannot pay at once may apply to pay in installments on Official Form 103A. A Chapter 7 debtor may instead apply for a waiver on Official Form 103B, which the court requires to be accompanied by pay advices or a conforming statement and completed Schedules I and J (L.B.R. 1006-1). The court explains that a waiver turns on income below 150 percent of the poverty line for the family size and an inability to pay in installments, and that any order granting one is conditional and subject to further investigation.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two questions tend to decide how much a Colorado case actually helps, and neither is answered by the court's procedural orders. The first is which exemption list applies to you and what it covers — particularly equity in a home and in a vehicle. The second is how much of your pay a creditor can reach right now, which is what usually sets the urgency of filing at all.

This page cannot answer either from the sources supplied for it. That is a limit of this page's evidence, not a statement that the law is silent. We publish separate Colorado pages on the exemption-list choice, homestead conditions and wage protection, and those are the right place to start.

The third question is timing. Venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 looks back 180 days, so if you moved into or out of Colorado recently, work out where you spent the greater part of that period before you assume the District of Colorado is correct for you.

• Which exemption list you may use, and what each category covers.
• Whether your home equity falls inside the published homestead conditions.
• How much of your wages a creditor can currently reach.
• Whether a recent move changes the correct filing district.

Where can an Otero County resident get help?

The court's Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney says bankruptcy is a complex process and recommends retaining an attorney, while listing options for free or lower-cost assistance based on income and assets, including Colorado Legal Services and several volunteer legal programs. The Colorado Bar Association's pro se bankruptcy clinic gives limited-scope advice by phone or video to individuals without lawyers, covering eligibility, drafting, court procedures and preparation for the meeting of creditors.

The court also notes that a bankruptcy petition preparer may type your forms but cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in court proceedings, and it publishes a list of preparers barred in this district.

On this site, Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can walk through your situation and build a roadmap using cited sources. If you ask to be introduced to a local firm, we show you exactly what would be shared and ask for your agreement first. Your conversation is never sent to a firm.

• Court-published help: Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid, Weld County Legal Services.
• Federal Pro Se Clinic attorneys may provide short-term limited legal services without entering an appearance.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Denver to file in Otero County?

The district publishes several filing methods. Unrepresented parties may file in person with the clerk's office, by mail, or by facsimile, and may apply to file electronically through CM/ECF using the Self-represented E-Filing Application (GPO 2026-1). Self-represented individuals preparing a voluntary Chapter 7 petition may also use the court's eSR module. A document filed through the website filing tool or by facsimile is treated as filed on the date the court receives it.

Is my § 341 meeting held in person?

No. The District of Colorado holds all § 341 meetings of creditors by Zoom in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases, and its page states that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. The court publishes Zoom meeting information for its trustees. 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.

What happens if I file without completing credit counseling?

The court's warning notice is direct: if you have not completed United States Trustee approved pre-filing credit counseling and you do not meet the requirements for an extension, your case will be dismissed and you will not receive a discharge. It adds that most debtors cannot meet those narrow conditions because counseling is readily available in this district. The clerk cannot predict how a judge will rule on a request for an extension.

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). Under GPO 2014-4(a), the first installment must be paid no later than fourteen days from the petition filing date, with later payments following the court's published schedule. Installment payments can be made online by debit card, PayPal or ACH. The clerk may deny an application where a prior case was dismissed with fees unpaid.

Does a bankruptcy petition preparer count as legal help?

No. The court states that a petition preparer's role is solely to type information on bankruptcy forms, and that preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice — they cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in bankruptcy court proceedings. Preparers must sign the documents they prepare, print their identifying information, and furnish copies to you. The court publishes a list of preparers barred in the District of Colorado.

How long will a filed bankruptcy show on my credit report?

Consumer reporting agencies generally may not report cases under title 11 that, from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication, antedate the report by more than 10 years (15 U.S.C. § 1681c). A reporting agency furnishing a report that includes your case must identify the chapter under which it arises if the source supplied that information.

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
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 · official source
• 15 U.S.C. § 1681c
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1
• 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
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB GPO 2015-1
• COB GPO 2021-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• COB official page — Chapter 7 Fee Waivers
• COB official page — Fees
• COB official page — Online Payments
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
• COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• 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
• Bankruptcy tools and screeners
• Filing Bankruptcy in Crowley County, Colorado
• Filing Bankruptcy in Bent County, Colorado

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 →