Teller County, Colorado

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Teller County?

A Teller County case belongs to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Colorado constitutes one judicial district, and that district is administered from a single clerk's office at Denver. Because the district is not divided into county-assigning divisions, cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide rather than by where you live. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court — hearing locations — not separate divisions that claim particular counties.

Residence is not the whole rule, though. Venue generally follows where your 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 immediately before the case is commenced (28 U.S.C. § 1408). A recent move into or out of Teller County, or a business operating in another state, can change the answer. A voluntary case begins when the petition is filed with the bankruptcy court, and that filing itself constitutes the order for relief (11 U.S.C. § 301).

• Court: 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 (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 it says plainly that any reference in the Colorado Local Bankruptcy Rules to "attorney" applies to you unless otherwise noted. The court also states that bankruptcy is a complex process and that it highly recommends retaining an attorney, while listing free and lower-cost options for people who cannot afford one.

Since June 2, 2025, the court's Electronic Self Representation (eSR) module is authorized exclusively for self-represented individual debtors preparing voluntary Chapter 7 cases. Submitting an eSR package does not itself file a petition or commence a case; the court opens the case only after it receives completed, hand-signed originals of the eSR Signature and Declaration Form and the statement about your Social Security number (COB GPO 2025-1).

Unrepresented parties may also file in person, by mail, or by facsimile, and individual debtors may request permission to file electronically through CM/ECF using the Self-represented E-Filing Application (COB GPO 2026-1).

• Local rule references to "attorney" apply to you when you file for yourself
• eSR is for self-represented individual Chapter 7 filers only
• Filed documents must carry your name, address, telephone number 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 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, the trustee examines the debtor orally to confirm you understand the consequences of seeking a discharge, your ability to file 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. The court states that debtors, counsel, creditors and parties in interest should not appear in person, and it publishes Zoom meeting IDs, passcodes and dedicated phone numbers by trustee. The court also describes the meeting as held outside the presence of the judge, with the assigned trustee conducting it in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases, usually between 21 and 50 days after the petition is filed, depending on the chapter.

You must also give the trustee a copy of your most recent required federal income tax return, or a transcript, at least 7 days before the first scheduled meeting date (11 U.S.C. § 521).

• All § 341 meetings in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases are by Zoom
• The trustee, not the judge, conducts the meeting
• Tax return or transcript to the trustee no later than 7 days before the first meeting date (11 U.S.C. § 521)

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Colorado rules shape practical steps a filer actually takes. A request to continue the § 341 meeting before the scheduled date must be in writing and served on the appointed trustee, who must receive it no later than seven days before the meeting; the trustee, not the court, approves it, so the request is not filed with the court. If the trustee consents, you must immediately file a notice of continued meeting, serve it on the trustee, all creditors and parties in interest, and file a certificate of service (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1). A continuance does not automatically extend objection deadlines to discharge or dischargeability.

The court also requires payment advices or other evidence of payment, or a statement concerning them in substantial conformity with its local form (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6). Non-attorney petition preparers are limited: the court states their role is solely to type information on bankruptcy forms, they are barred from giving legal advice, and it publishes a list of preparers barred in the district (COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers).

• Continuance requests go to the trustee, not the court, at least seven days ahead (D. Colo. L.B.R. 2003-1)
• Payment advices or a conforming statement are required (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1007-6)
• A Chapter 13 case uses the court's Chapter 13 Plan local form (COB official page — Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition Packet)

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

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)). A Chapter 7 petition also carries a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee payment, and a Chapter 13 petition carries a $78 administrative fee (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9).

Every voluntary petition in this district must arrive with one of three things: full payment, an application to pay in installments on Official Form 103A, or — in Chapter 7 only — an application to have the fee waived on Official Form 103B. A paper petition missing all three is returned and no case is opened, and an electronically filed case whose payment documents are not filed the same day is dismissed (COB GPO 2014-4(a)). A fee waiver application must include pay advices or the local form plus completed Schedules I and J, and any order granting it is conditional and subject to further investigation (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1).

Which Colorado questions should you settle before filing?

Two groups of questions commonly need attention before a petition is filed. The first is procedural and comes straight from the court: credit counseling from an approved agency must be completed during the 180-day period ending on the filing date, or the petition is rejected and the case can be dismissed (COB official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses). The court's own warning notice says most debtors will not meet the narrow conditions for completing the course after filing, because counseling is readily available in this district.

The second group is about your property and your paycheck under Colorado law — which exemption list applies, what conditions attach to a homestead claim, and how much of your wages a creditor can reach. This page is built from the District of Colorado's own documents and the federal provisions in the packet, and it cannot answer those Colorado questions from those sources. We publish them separately, and it is worth reading them before you decide what to claim as exempt on Schedule C.

• Complete credit counseling during the 180-day period ending on your filing date
• Read the Colorado exemption-list and homestead pages before completing Schedule C
• Check Colorado wage protection separately if your pay is already being garnished

Where can a Teller County resident get help?

The court names several options. The Colorado Bar Association runs a free Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic that gives limited-scope legal advice by phone or video appointment to individuals without lawyers, counseling on eligibility, drafting petitions and schedules, court procedures and forms, and preparation for meetings of creditors. The court also lists Colorado Legal Services, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Southwest Bar Volunteer Legal Aid and Weld County Legal Services as free or lower-cost options based on income and assets.

Attorneys, staff and volunteers associated with the Federal Pro Se Clinic may provide short-term limited legal services to self-represented litigants before the court, and the court amended its local rule so an attorney may provide pro bono services and advice through a nonprofit or court-approved program without signing documents or entering an appearance (COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3).

One limit worth knowing: court staff are prohibited from advising parties about their rights in a case before the court. Our assistant, Arthur, can walk you through how the process works and help you organise what you have, and where a participating local firm covers your area we can offer an introduction with your consent.

• Colorado Bar Association Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic — limited-scope advice by phone or video
• Colorado Legal Services and other listed legal-aid organisations
• Federal Pro Se Clinic short-term limited legal services (COB AO 2020-3)

Frequently asked questions

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

Not necessarily. The District of Colorado holds all § 341 meetings of creditors in Chapter 7, 12 and 13 cases by Zoom, and states that debtors should not appear in person. For filing, unrepresented parties may file in person with the clerk's office, by mail, or by facsimile, and individual debtors may apply for permission to file electronically through CM/ECF (COB GPO 2026-1).

Does living in Teller County change which judge I get?

No. Colorado is one undivided judicial district, and cases are assigned to judges by random selection district-wide rather than by county. Grand Junction and Pueblo are statutory places for holding court, not divisions that claim particular counties. Your county determines nothing about the judge; it simply places you within the District of Colorado.

What happens if I file without completing credit counseling?

The court states that voluntary petitions will be rejected if credit counseling is not completed during the 180-day period ending on the filing date, unless a statutory exemption applies, and that electronically submitted cases will be dismissed. Its warning notice adds that most debtors will not meet the conditions for completing the course after filing, because counseling is readily available in this district.

Can I pay the Colorado filing fee in installments?

An individual debtor may apply to pay the filing fee in installments using Official Form 103A (D. Colo. L.B.R. 1006-1). In this district, the amount and timing of installment payments follow the most recently published schedule on the court's website, and the clerk may deny the application where the official records show a prior case dismissed with fees unpaid (COB GPO 2014-4(a)).

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

Yes, within strict limits. The court states that a petition preparer's role is solely to type information on bankruptcy forms, that preparers are barred by law from providing legal advice, and that they cannot explain how to answer legal questions or assist in court proceedings. They must sign documents they prepare and furnish copies to you, and the court publishes a list of preparers barred in the district.

Will the judge be at my meeting of creditors?

No. The court may not preside at, and may not attend, any meeting of creditors under § 341 (11 U.S.C. § 341). The United States trustee convenes and presides, and in this district the assigned Chapter 7, 12 or 13 trustee conducts the meeting by Zoom. The trustee will examine you orally before the meeting concludes.

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. § 301
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 · official source
• COB official material — Guide for Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Without an Attorney
• COB GPO 2025-1
• COB GPO 2026-1
• COB official page — 341 Meetings of Creditors by Zoom
• 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 official page — Credit Counseling & Debtor Education Courses
• COB official material — Credit Counseling is required BEFORE you file for Bankruptcy
• COB official page — Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
• COB Administrative Order of the Chief Judge 2020-3
• 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
• 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 →