Fairfield County, Connecticut

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Fairfield County?

If you live in Fairfield County, your case goes to the Bridgeport Bankruptcy Court — the Bridgeport Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut. The court's own "Where To File" guidance is direct: "Litchfield and Fairfield Counties file with the Bridgeport Bankruptcy Court." Residence is the usual answer, but it is not the whole rule. Venue lies 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 greater part of the 180 days before the case is commenced (28 U.S.C. § 1408). A recent move across state lines, a business operated elsewhere, or assets held in another district can change which court is proper. A voluntary case begins when the petition is filed with the bankruptcy court (11 U.S.C. § 301), and the district courts hold original and exclusive jurisdiction of cases under title 11 (28 U.S.C. § 1334).

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

The district's local rules, effective March 16, 2026, include a rule on commencing or continuing a case without counsel, and the clerk's office publishes fillable individual petition packets by chapter together with written instructions on the forms (CTB official page — Petition Forms for Individuals to File Bankruptcy and Filing Guidelines). A self-represented filer may file by mail or in person at the Clerk's Office. Two local requirements catch first-time filers. A creditor list covering every party listed on Schedules D, E, F, G and H is filed with the petition — as a PDF and as a ".txt" file uploaded to the case's creditor table — with an attention line to a President, Officer, Director, Manager or General Agent for business creditors (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1007-1). Separately, a self-represented filer must file notice of any change of mailing address within seven (7) days (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 9083-5).

What does it cost to file, and how is the fee paid?

A chapter 7 or chapter 13 petition requires a fee unless an application to pay the fee in installments — or, in a chapter 7 case, an application to have the fee waived — is filed at the same time as the petition. The court's fee page lists one combined petition total that bundles the statutory filing fee, the administrative fee and, in chapter 7, the trustee surcharge; the components appear below, and the current combined figure is on that page (CTB official page — Fees). Payment methods are narrower than many people expect. A debtor's personal check and a debtor's credit card are not accepted for a petition fee. Debit card, an ACH transfer through the court's Pay.gov form, money order or bank check payable to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court" or "Clerk, United States Court", and cash in person in the exact amount are accepted.

• Filing by mail: pay online first and include the printed Pay.gov receipt with the petition, entering case number 77-77777 when no case number exists yet (CTB Instructions for Paying the Bankruptcy Case (Petition) Filing Fee for Self-Represented Debtors).
• A voluntary petition by an individual, or by an individual and spouse, may be paid in no more than four installments, upon application to the court (CTB official page — Fees).
• The court does not make change, and it does not accept two-party or third-party checks.

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

After the order for relief, the United States trustee convenes and presides at a meeting of creditors (11 U.S.C. § 341(a)), and the court may not preside at or attend it (§ 341(c)). Before the meeting concludes, the trustee orally examines a chapter 7 debtor to confirm the debtor understands the consequences of seeking a discharge, the ability to file under a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt (§ 341(d)). A creditor holding a consumer debt may appear and participate with or without an attorney (§ 341(c)). Locally, documents come first. No later than seven (7) days before the first scheduled meeting, a chapter 7 debtor delivers the documents listed in Appendix I and a chapter 13 debtor those in Appendix J, with the Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure and Personal Injury Information Forms where they apply (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4002-1).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Chapter 13 is where this district's forms matter most. Every chapter 13 plan must use the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan in Appendix E, and the fillable PDF has to be converted to a flattened PDF before it can be filed (CTB Instructions for Completing the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan). Unless the court orders otherwise, an objection to confirmation is filed no later than seven (7) days before the confirmation hearing, and the hearing is held not earlier than 20 days and not later than 45 days after the first date set for the § 341(a) meeting; the debtor, or the debtor's attorney, must appear unless excused by order (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 3015-2). Service of the plan and the hearing notice on all creditors, parties in interest and the chapter 13 trustee is the debtor's responsibility, documented on the Appendix E certificate of service.

• Chapter 13 attorney compensation: a Disclosure of Compensation, Form B2030, can suffice for pre-confirmation fees at or below the amount stated in Section 4.3 of the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan, excusing an itemized fee application (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 2016-2).
• Amendments: an Amendment Cover Sheet identifying what changed is required, and an amendment adding creditors is filed with the corrected list within seven (7) days (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1009-1).
• One case at a time: no debtor may maintain more than one petition simultaneously unless the court permits it, and a later petition may be dismissed (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1017-1).
• A chapter 13 discharge is requested by a certification and application on a court-approved form (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4004-1).

Which Connecticut questions should you settle before filing?

A few questions shape a Connecticut case more than anything in the petition packet: which exemption list you may use, what conditions attach to the homestead exemption, how much of your wages state law shields from a garnishment, and how a prior case affects timing. Those turn on provisions that are not among the sources supplied for this page, so this page cannot answer them from its own evidence — and an approximate figure would be worse than no figure. Our Connecticut wage garnishment page covers the state's wage rules, and the court finder confirms the division. What this district's material does settle is procedural, and it is worth handling early: the documents your trustee will want are fixed by local rule, your creditor list has a required format, and a chapter 13 plan has to be drafted on the district's own form rather than a general one.

Where can a Fairfield County resident get help?

The district maintains a bankruptcy pro bono program and a pro bono panel through its local rules and appendices (CTB official page — Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure). For fee and payment questions the court directs people to its finance mailbox and offers Pay.gov payment assistance by telephone on weekdays (CTB Payment - How to Submit Payment for Filing and Service Fees via Pay.gov). Public computer terminals are available in the Clerk's Offices in Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. App. R). The court's own guides state plainly that they are informational and are not legal advice. The Code also requires an attorney or a bankruptcy petition preparer to give you a written contract specifying what they will do and how much it will cost, and tells you to ask to see it before you hire anyone (11 U.S.C. § 527(b)). Arthur can walk through your court and build a roadmap, and if a participating firm covers your district we can offer an introduction with your consent.

Frequently asked questions

Does Fairfield County have its own bankruptcy court?

No. There is one U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut, and Litchfield and Fairfield Counties file with its Bridgeport Bankruptcy Court. The district's local rules, local forms and administrative orders therefore apply to a Fairfield County case in full, and there is no separate county rulebook. Venue itself is tested under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 rather than by county lines.

Do I have to file a credit counseling certificate?

An individual debtor files a certificate from the approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency describing the services provided, along with a copy of any debt repayment plan developed through that agency (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)). The sources supplied for this page do not state a Connecticut-specific procedure for that certificate, so confirm the filing mechanics in the court's petition instructions rather than assuming a local practice.

Where is the meeting of creditors held, and is it in person?

The sources behind this page do not state a location, format or calendar for meetings in the Bridgeport Division, so this page will not guess; the notice issued in your case states where and how the meeting happens. What the law does fix is who runs it: the United States trustee convenes and presides, and the court may not preside at or attend (11 U.S.C. § 341(a), (c)).

What if I cannot get a document to the trustee in time?

Tell the trustee. The local rule expects delivery no later than seven (7) days before the first scheduled meeting, and if a document applies but is unavailable the debtor must inform the trustee why and use best efforts to provide a copy as soon as possible afterward (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4002-1). Failure to provide the required documents may constitute cause for dismissal of the case.

I left a creditor off my schedules — what happens now?

Amendments are expected rather than exceptional. This district requires an Amendment Cover Sheet identifying what changed, a signed declaration for amended schedules, an amended creditor list, and a certificate of service on any affected party (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1009-1; CTB Guide to Amending Bankruptcy Schedules, Statements, or Lists). A fee applies to adding a creditor, and the court's fee page states the current amount. The court may also set new deadlines for the added creditor.

Sources

• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut, "Where To File": "Litchfield and Fairfield Counties file with the Bridgeport Bankruptcy Court." — Where To File — District of Connecticut
• 28 U.S.C. § 1408 — Venue of cases under title 11
• 28 U.S.C. § 1334 — Bankruptcy cases and proceedings
• 11 U.S.C. § 301 — Voluntary cases
• 11 U.S.C. § 341 — Meetings of creditors and equity security holders · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 521 — Debtor's duties · official source
• 11 U.S.C. § 527 — Disclosures · official source
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4002-1 — Documents to Be Delivered to Trustee Prior to Section 341 Creditors' Meeting
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1007-1 — Lists, Schedules, and Statements
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1009-1 — Amendments to Creditor Lists, Schedules, and Statements
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1017-1 — Simultaneous Petitions
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 3015-2 — Chapter 13 — Confirmation
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 2016-2 — Compensation of Debtor's Counsel in Chapter 13 Cases
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4004-1 — Entry of Discharge in Individual Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 Cases
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 9083-5 — Change of Contact Information or Name
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. App. R — Instructions for Applying for Payment of Unclaimed Funds
• CTB official page — Fees — Bankruptcy Court Fees, District of Connecticut
• CTB Instructions for Paying the Bankruptcy Case (Petition) Filing Fee for Self-Represented Debtors
• CTB Payment - How to Submit Payment for Filing and Service Fees via Pay.gov
• CTB official page — Petition Forms for Individuals to File Bankruptcy and Filing Guidelines
• CTB Instructions for Completing the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan
• CTB official page — Local Form Chapter 13 Plan and Certificate of Service
• CTB Guide to Amending Bankruptcy Schedules, Statements, or Lists
• CTB official page — Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
• CTB Guide to Subsections (c) & (d) of Local Rule 3015-2

Related

• Find your local bankruptcy court
• The 341 Meeting of Creditors: What Actually Happens
• Wage Garnishment in Connecticut: What the Law Says and What Bankruptcy Changes
• Build your personalised roadmap
• 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 →

Connecticut median income

Median annual income, household of one

$84,302

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 →