New Haven County, Connecticut

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from New Haven County?

New Haven County is assigned to the New Haven Division of the District of Connecticut. The court's own "Where To File" guidance puts it plainly: Middlesex and New Haven counties file with the New Haven Bankruptcy Court. That assignment is where your petition, schedules and Chapter 13 plan go, and whose local rules govern the paperwork.

Venue is a separate question from county assignment. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, 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 sat for the greater part of the 180 days immediately before filing. So if you moved to New Haven recently, or your business and its assets sit in another state, the correct district may not be the one where you sleep tonight. Residence is one of four listed grounds, not the whole rule.

• County assignment tells you which Connecticut division handles the case.
• Venue under § 1408 tells you whether Connecticut is the right district at all.
• A pending case of an affiliate or partner can also establish venue (28 U.S.C. § 1408(2)).

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

The District of Connecticut publishes material aimed specifically at self-represented filers. Its "Petition Forms for Individuals to File Bankruptcy and Filing Guidelines" page carries chapter-by-chapter fillable packets for Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 individual cases, plus written instructions on the bankruptcy forms for individuals. A self-represented filer may file a petition by mail or in person at the Clerk's Office (CTB Instructions for Paying the Bankruptcy Case (Petition) Filing Fee for Self-Represented Debtors).

The local rules also impose duties that do not depend on having counsel. A creditor list naming all creditors and parties-in-interest must be filed with the voluntary petition, in PDF form and as a ".txt" upload to the case's creditor table (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1007-1). A self-represented filer must file notice of any change of mailing address within seven days (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 9083-5). Federal law separately lists the debtor's own filing duties (11 U.S.C. § 521).

• Creditor list due with the petition; failure may lead to dismissal after notice (L. R. 1007-1).
• Business-entity addresses need an attention line to an officer, director, manager or agent.
• Redacting personal identifying information rests solely with the filer (L. R. 1007-1).

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

The meeting itself is federal in shape. Under 11 U.S.C. § 341(a), the United States trustee convenes and presides at a meeting of creditors within a reasonable time after the order for relief. The bankruptcy judge may not preside at or attend it. Before the meeting closes, the trustee examines a Chapter 7 debtor orally to confirm they understand 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 (11 U.S.C. § 341(d)).

What the District of Connecticut adds is a document deadline. Local Rule 4002-1 requires a Chapter 7 debtor to deliver the documents listed in Appendix I to the trustee no later than seven days before the first scheduled meeting; a Chapter 13 debtor delivers the Appendix J list on the same schedule, together with the Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure and Personal Injury Information forms where they apply. Payment advices go to the trustee rather than onto the docket. Failing to provide them may constitute cause for dismissal.

• Deliver the trustee's document list seven days before the first scheduled meeting.
• Tell the trustee why any applicable document is unavailable, then supply it as soon as possible.
• Creditors may appear and participate without an attorney (11 U.S.C. § 341(c)).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Connecticut rules shape a consumer case in ways the Code alone does not. Chapter 13 plans must be filed on the court's Local Form Chapter 13 Plan in Appendix E, and unless the court orders otherwise the confirmation hearing is held not earlier than 20 days and not later than 45 days after the first date set for the § 341(a) meeting (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 3015-2). Objections to confirmation are due no later than seven days before the hearing, and the debtor — or the debtor's attorney — must appear at the confirmation hearing unless excused by court order.

The court also publishes a Guide to Subsections (c) and (d) of Local Rule 3015-2 setting out who serves the plan and notice, on whom, and when the certificate of service is due. Amendments to schedules require the court's Amendment Cover Sheet (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1009-1), and no debtor may maintain more than one petition at a time without permission (D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 1017-1).

What does it cost to file, and how does this court take payment?

The federal filing fee is $245 for a Chapter 7 case and $235 for a Chapter 13 case (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1); 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). An administrative fee of $78 is collected with either petition, and a Chapter 7 petition also carries a $15 trustee surcharge (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9). Confirm current totals on the court's Fees page before you pay.

The fee is required unless an Application to Pay the Filing Fee in Installments — or, in a Chapter 7 case, an Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived — is filed at the same time as the petition. For self-represented filers the court accepts online payment through its own Pay.gov page by debit card or ACH, a debit card in person, a money order, a bank check, or exact cash in person. It does not accept a debtor's personal check or a debtor's credit card for a petition filing fee.

• Filing by mail: pay via the court's Pay.gov page and enclose the printed receipt; never mail cash.
• Money orders and bank checks go to "Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court" or "Clerk, United States Court".
• An installment or waiver application must be filed with the petition, not after it.

Which Connecticut questions should you settle before filing?

Three Connecticut questions tend to decide how a filing actually feels: which exemption list you may use, what conditions attach to the homestead exemption, and how much of your pay a creditor can reach before anything is filed. Those are state-law questions layered on top of the federal Code, and this packet of court rules and official pages does not supply the figures, so this page cannot answer them from the supplied sources. Our Connecticut exemption and garnishment pages take each one in turn with its own citations.

What you can settle here is the paperwork. Decide whether Connecticut is the right district under 28 U.S.C. § 1408. Build the creditor list the local rule demands, including parties-in-interest. Pull together the documents the trustee will want, since they are due before the meeting rather than at it. And read the court's own guide before amending anything — a correction filed the wrong way can require a fee and a fresh certificate of service.

• Confirm the district before the forms, not after.
• Treat the creditor list and trustee documents as early work, not last-minute work.
• Read Connecticut exemption and wage-protection material separately, with its own sources.

Where can a New Haven County resident get help?

The court publishes more plain-language material than most filers realise. Its Forms and Local Forms pages collect the national Official Bankruptcy Forms alongside the District of Connecticut's own local forms, including the Chapter 13 plan, the certificate of service, the Amendment Cover Sheet and the Verification of Creditor List. Its Guide to Amending Bankruptcy Schedules, Statements, or Lists walks through the amendment process step by step — while stating clearly that it is informational only, is not legal advice, and may not be cited as legal authority.

The Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure page carries the current consolidated rules and all appendices, including the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program in Appendix P. Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can walk through what the rules ask for and help you build a roadmap of what to gather. If you would like an introduction to a bankruptcy firm, Arthur can show you a consent form; nothing is sent until you submit it yourself.

• Local Forms page: the district's own fillable and printable forms.
• Local Rules page: consolidated rules plus the appendices the rules reference.
• Appendix P describes the court's Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program.

Frequently asked questions

Do I file in New Haven if I live in New Haven County?

The District of Connecticut's "Where To File" guidance states that Middlesex and New Haven counties file with the New Haven Bankruptcy Court, so a New Haven County case is assigned to the New Haven Division. Venue is still governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, which looks at domicile, residence, principal place of business or principal assets over the greater part of the 180 days before filing.

Can I pay the filing fee with a credit card?

No — the District of Connecticut does not accept a debtor's credit card, or a debtor's personal check, for a petition filing fee. Self-represented filers may pay by debit card or ACH through the court's Pay.gov page, by debit card in person, by money order, by bank check, or in exact cash in person. The court does not make change.

What do I have to give the trustee before the meeting of creditors?

Local Rule 4002-1 requires delivery of the documents listed in Appendix I (Chapter 7) or Appendix J (Chapter 13) in legible form, plus the Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure and Personal Injury Information forms where they apply, no later than seven days before the first scheduled meeting. Payment advices go to the trustee and are not filed with the court. Failure to provide them may be cause for dismissal.

Can I write my own Chapter 13 plan?

Not in this district. Local Rule 3015-2 requires all Chapter 13 plans to be filed using the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan in Appendix E. The court publishes fillable and printable versions, filing instructions, and a separate guide to the service and certificate-of-service requirements in subsections (c) and (d) of that rule.

Can I fix a mistake on my schedules after filing?

Generally yes. The court's amendment guide notes that Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1009 allows a debtor to amend schedules, statements or lists at any time before the case is closed. Local Rule 1009-1 adds the local mechanics: an Amendment Cover Sheet, a certificate of service on affected parties, and payment of any applicable fee when creditors are added.

Is this page specific to New Haven County, or just Connecticut?

The county-specific part is the court assignment: New Haven County files with the New Haven Bankruptcy Court. Everything else here operates at the district level, because the District of Connecticut publishes its local rules and forms for the whole district rather than per county. The Bankruptcy Code itself is identical in every county.

Sources

• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut, "Where To File": "Middlesex and New Haven counties file with the New Haven Bankruptcy Court."
• 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
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4002-1 — Documents to Be Delivered to Trustee Prior to Section 341 Creditors' Meeting
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 3015-2 — Chapter 13 - Confirmation
• 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. 9083-5 — Change of Contact Information or Name
• CTB Instructions for Paying the Bankruptcy Case (Petition) Filing Fee for Self-Represented Debtors
• CTB official page — Fees
• CTB official page — Petition Forms for Individuals to File Bankruptcy and Filing Guidelines
• CTB official page — Local Form Chapter 13 Plan and Certificate of Service
• CTB Guide to Subsections (c) & (d) of Local Rule 3015-2
• CTB Guide to Amending Bankruptcy Schedules, Statements, or Lists
• CTB official page — Local Forms
• CTB official page — Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
• CTB Payment - How to Submit Payment for Filing and Service Fees via Pay.gov
• 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

• Connecticut exemptions and what they cover
• Wage garnishment in Connecticut
• Filing in Middlesex County, Connecticut
• The 341 meeting of creditors: what actually happens
• Find your local bankruptcy court
• Build your personalised roadmap

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 →