Pueblo County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Pueblo County?

A Pueblo County case belongs in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, which is administered from Denver. By statute, "Colorado constitutes one judicial district," and the district operates as a single undivided court with its clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver. Cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide to the extent possible, not by the county you live in. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, meaning hearing locations, not county-assigning divisions.

Venue itself is a separate question from which court is nearest. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, a case may be commenced 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 anywhere else, so a recent move or a business elsewhere can change the answer. Residence alone is not the whole rule.

• 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 listing the forms required to start a case. The guide states plainly that bankruptcy is a complex process and that the court highly recommends retaining an attorney, while also noting that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you if you file without one.

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

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

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

Section 341 requires the United States trustee to convene and preside at a meeting of creditors within a reasonable time after the order for relief, and the court may not preside at or attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). Before the meeting ends, the trustee examines a Chapter 7 debtor orally about 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 the format. All Section 341 meetings of creditors are held by Zoom for Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases, and debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person. The court's page states 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 assigned trustee conducts it; in Chapter 11 a representative of the United States Trustee does.

Continuances run through the trustee, not the court.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape the mechanics of a consumer case. A request to continue the Section 341 meeting before the scheduled date must be in writing, served on the appointed trustee, and received at least seven days ahead; the trustee, not the court, approves it, and the debtor then files a notice of continued meeting (L.B.R. 2003-1). A continuance does not automatically extend the deadlines to object to discharge or dischargeability.

Other orders affect filings and representation:

• Payment advices required by 11 U.S.C. § 521(a)(1)(B)(iv) must be filed, or a statement in substantial conformity with L.B.F. 1007-6.1 (L.B.R. 1007-6).
• Attorneys, staff and volunteers with the Federal Pro Se Clinic may provide short-term limited legal services to pro se litigants before the court, and an attorney may give pro bono advice through a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing documents or entering an appearance (Administrative Order 2020-3).
• Chapter 13 has a district-wide plan form, Local Bankruptcy Form 3015-1.1, and the court sets a presumptively reasonable fee allowance for debtor's counsel by general procedure order (L.B.R. 2016-3; GPO 2021-1).
• Non-attorney petition preparers are governed by 11 U.S.C. § 110, may not give legal advice, and several are barred in this district by name (COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers).

What does it cost to file, and can the fee be waived?

The federal filing fees are the same in every district. A Chapter 7 case carries a $245 filing fee (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee surcharge (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9, effective December 1, 2023). A Chapter 13 case carries a $235 filing fee (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus the same $78 administrative fee.

The District of Colorado's procedure is specific. Every voluntary petition must be accompanied by full payment, an application to pay in installments on Official Form 103A, or, for qualified Chapter 7 debtors, an application to waive the fee on Official Form 103B; a paper petition missing all three is returned and no case is opened (GPO 2014-4(a)). The first installment is due no later than fourteen days after the petition date. A fee-waiver application must include pay advices or L.B.F. 1007-6.1 and completed Schedules I and J, and any order granting it is conditional (L.B.R. 1006-1). Confirm current amounts on the court's Fees page.

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Some of the decisions that matter most in a Colorado case sit outside the federal provisions in this packet, and this page cannot answer them from the sources supplied here. That is a limit of this page's evidence, not a statement that the law is silent. Three are worth settling before you file, and we publish separate Colorado pages for each.

The first is which exemption list applies to you and what it covers. The second is how homestead protection works and on what conditions. The third is how much of your wages a creditor can reach now, which often drives the timing of a filing more than anything else.

Two things you can settle from this district's own materials: credit counseling must be completed before you file, and the court warns that a case filed without it will be dismissed absent a narrow statutory exception (COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy). And 11 U.S.C. § 521 lists the schedules, statements and payment records you must file.

Where can a Pueblo County resident get help?

The court's own pages are the most reliable starting point. The Filing Without an Attorney page collects the required forms, the credit counseling warning, the Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petition packets, and a notice about the risks of paying a non-attorney. The pro se guide lists free or lower-cost options by income and assets, including Colorado Legal Services and the Colorado Bar Association's Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic, which gives limited-scope advice on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and preparing for meetings of creditors.

Court staff cannot help with the substance. The guide states that staff are prohibited from providing advice to parties about their rights in a case before the court.

For a local firm, you can ask Arthur, our AI Navigator, to build your Roadmap first. If you then want an introduction, Arthur shows a consent card; you decide whether to share your details, and nothing is sent unless you do. Your conversation transcript is never shared with a firm.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Denver for my 341 meeting?

No. All Section 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. The court's page lists each trustee's meeting ID, passcode and dedicated phone number, and links to joining instructions and acceptable identification documents.

Is there a separate Pueblo division that assigns my judge?

No. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, administered from the sole clerk's office and divisional seat at Denver, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide to the extent possible (L.B.R. 1073-1). Pueblo is a statutory place for holding court, which means a hearing location, not a county-assigning division. Your county does not determine which judge hears your case.

Can I prepare my Chapter 7 petition online?

The court authorizes its Electronic Self Representation module exclusively for self-represented individuals preparing and submitting voluntary Chapter 7 petitions. Submitting through eSR does not file the petition or commence a case. The court opens the case only after receiving completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and Official Form B121 for each debtor (GPO 2025-1).

What happens if I cannot pay the filing fee up front?

An individual debtor may apply to pay in installments on Official Form 103A, and a qualified Chapter 7 debtor may apply to have the fee waived on Official Form 103B (L.B.R. 1006-1). In this district the first installment is due no later than fourteen days after the petition date, and a petition filed with none of the three payment options is returned or dismissed (GPO 2014-4(a)).

Do I need to complete credit counseling before filing?

Yes. The court's notice states that if you have not completed the required 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 maintains a link to approved agencies.

Can a non-attorney prepare my bankruptcy papers?

A bankruptcy petition preparer may type information onto bankruptcy forms, which are available free from the court. Preparers are barred by law from giving legal advice, cannot explain how to answer legal questions, cannot sign a document for you, and cannot receive your court fees. The court publishes a list of petition preparers barred in the District of Colorado.

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
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• COB official page — Filing Without an Attorney
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy 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
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 9011-4
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1
• D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6
• COB GPO 2014-4(a)
• COB GPO 2021-1
• 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 — 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
• Bankruptcy tools and screeners
• 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 →