New London County, Connecticut

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from New London County?

New London County cases belong to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut. The court's own "Where To File" guidance states that Hartford, Tolland, Windham and New London Counties file with the Hartford Bankruptcy Court, which places New London County in the Hartford Division.

Residence is not the whole rule. Venue is set by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, which permits a case where the debtor's 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 any other district — so a recent move across state lines, or a business or principal assets elsewhere, can change the correct district even when your mailing address is in New London County.

The district court holds original and exclusive jurisdiction over cases under title 11 (28 U.S.C. § 1334), and a voluntary case begins when the petition is filed with the bankruptcy court (11 U.S.C. § 301).

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

The District of Connecticut publishes material specifically for self-represented debtors. Its "Petition Forms for Individuals to File Bankruptcy and Filing Guidelines" page provides fillable Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 individual packets and directs filers to read the court's instructions on bankruptcy forms and on paying the filing fee before filing. Self-represented individuals may file by mail or in person at the Clerk's Office, per the court's filing-fee instructions.

The local rules also expect you to keep your own contact information current. Local Bankruptcy Rule 9083-5 requires a self-represented filer, a proof-of-claim filer, or another party-in-interest to file notice of any change of mailing address within seven days, using the court's local Change of Mailing Address form.

Federal law separately requires an individual debtor to file a certificate from the approved credit counseling agency that provided services under § 109(h), along with any debt repayment plan developed through that agency (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)).

What must you file with the petition in this district?

Local Bankruptcy Rule 1007-1 requires a Creditor List — covering all creditors and parties-in-interest — to be filed contemporaneously with every voluntary petition. The list must give the name and address of each individual or entity on Schedules D, E, F, G and H, must include an attention line to a President, Officer, Director, Manager or General Agent for business entities, and must be filed both as a PDF and as a ".txt" file uploaded to the creditor maintenance table. Failure to comply may result in dismissal after notice of the deficiency and a failure to cure.

Schedules and statements required by 11 U.S.C. § 521 must be filed within the time limits in FRBP 1007(c), and the same rule warns that untimely filing may lead to dismissal. Redaction of personal identifying information rests solely with the filer. Correcting a filed schedule is governed by Local Rule 1009-1 and the court's amendments guide; adding a creditor carries a fee and requires a certificate of service.

• Creditor List filed with the petition, as a PDF and as an uploaded .txt address file (Local Rule 1007-1).
• Schedules and statements under 11 U.S.C. § 521, within the FRBP 1007(c) deadlines.
• Credit counseling certificate and any agency repayment plan (11 U.S.C. § 521(b)).
• Amendments: Amendment Cover Sheet plus certificate of service (Local Rule 1009-1).

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

The meeting itself is a federal creature. 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 court may not preside at or attend it. In a Chapter 7 case the trustee must orally examine the debtor before the meeting concludes to confirm awareness of the consequences of a discharge, the option of a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt (§ 341(d)).

What the District of Connecticut adds is a document deadline. Local Bankruptcy Rule 4002-1 requires Chapter 7 debtors to deliver the documents listed in Appendix I, and Chapter 13 debtors the documents in Appendix J, to the trustee in legible form no later than seven days before the first scheduled meeting of creditors, together with the Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure and Personal Injury Information Forms where they apply. Payment advices are not filed with the court; they go to the trustee on the same seven-day timetable. Failure to provide these documents may constitute cause for dismissal.

This page does not state a meeting location or format beyond what the rules above describe.

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several District of Connecticut rules shape a consumer case in ways the Code does not. Chapter 13 plans must be filed on the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan in Appendix E (Local Rule 3015-2), and the court publishes completion instructions plus a guide to the service subsections of that rule. Unless the court orders otherwise, the confirmation hearing may be held not earlier than 20 days and not later than 45 days after the first date set for the § 341(a) meeting, and objections to confirmation are due no later than seven days before the hearing. The debtor, or the debtor's attorney, must appear at confirmation unless excused by order.

Local Rule 2016-2 governs Chapter 13 counsel compensation: where pre-confirmation fees do not exceed the amount stated in Section 4.3 of the Appendix E plan, filing Form B2030 suffices and an itemized fee application is excused.

Local Rule 1017-1 bars maintaining more than one bankruptcy petition at the same time absent a court order or granted motion.

• Chapter 13 plan: mandatory Appendix E local form, served with the Notice of Hearing (Local Rule 3015-2).
• Certificate of service on the Appendix E local form, generally within three business days of the notice.
• Motions must conform to FRBP 9013 and D. Conn. L. Civ. R. 7(b) (Local Rule 9013-1).
• Discharge in Chapter 13 requires a Certification and Application on a court-approved form (Local Rule 4004-1).

What are the filing fees, and what if you cannot pay?

The federal petition fees are fixed by statute and schedule, not by the district. The Chapter 7 filing fee is $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)) and the Chapter 13 filing fee is $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)). Each chapter also carries a $78 administrative fee, and a Chapter 7 petition adds a $15 trustee surcharge (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Items 8 and 9, effective December 1, 2023). The court's Fees page combines these into a single petition figure; confirm the current total there before you file.

Procedure matters as much as the amount. The court's instructions for self-represented debtors state that a filing 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. Self-represented debtors may pay online through Pay.gov by debit card or ACH, or in person by debit card, money order, bank check, or exact cash; credit cards and personal checks are not accepted from self-represented individuals for petition fees.

Which Connecticut questions should you settle before filing?

Three questions are usually worth resolving before a petition goes in, and none of them is answered by the federal Code alone or by the District of Connecticut's local rules. First, which exemption list you may use and what it covers. Second, whether a homestead protection applies to your equity and on what conditions. Third, how much of your pay a creditor with a judgment can reach, and what filing changes about an active garnishment.

The supplied sources for this page are the District of Connecticut's rules and official pages plus the federal provisions above, so it cannot give you Connecticut dollar figures or conditions. That is a limit of this page's evidence, not a statement that the law is silent. Our Connecticut pages address each question with its own cited sources, and the exemption-checker and related tools let you work through the numbers.

The practical sequence is to settle these state questions, then confirm the correct district under § 1408, then assemble the documents Local Rule 4002-1 requires.

Where can a New London County resident get help?

The court's own material is the first stop, and it is free. The District of Connecticut publishes its consolidated Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure with all appendices, a Local Forms index, individual petition packets by chapter, a guide to amending schedules, statements or lists, and Pay.gov payment instructions. The court's amendments guide is explicit that it is informational only, is not legal advice, and may not be cited as legal authority — and that where the guide and the rules conflict, the rules control.

The local rules also contemplate a pro bono panel: Local Bankruptcy Rule 9083-6 addresses establishment of a pro bono panel and referral of pro bono counsel, and Appendix P of the local rules covers the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program. This page does not state eligibility terms for that program.

Arthur, the Bankruptcy.law AI Navigator, can walk you through your situation and build a roadmap. If you want a local attorney, you can ask for an introduction to a participating firm; no transcript is shared.

Frequently asked questions

Do I file in Hartford if I live in New London County?

Yes — the District of Connecticut's "Where To File" guidance states that Hartford, Tolland, Windham and New London Counties file with the Hartford Bankruptcy Court. Confirm your own district first, though: venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1408 looks at domicile, residence, principal place of business or principal assets over the 180 days before filing, so a recent move or an out-of-state business can point elsewhere.

What do I have to send the trustee before the creditors' meeting?

Local Bankruptcy Rule 4002-1 requires delivery no later than seven days before the first scheduled meeting of creditors — Appendix I documents in Chapter 7, Appendix J documents in Chapter 13 — plus the Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure and Personal Injury Information Forms where they apply, and anything else the trustee reasonably requests. Payment advices go to the trustee, not the court. Failure to provide them may constitute cause for dismissal.

Can I pay the filing fee over time?

The court's instructions for self-represented debtors state that a filing fee is required unless an Application to Pay the Filing Fee in Installments is filed simultaneously with the petition; in a Chapter 7 case, an Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived may be filed instead. The Fees page notes that an individual or joint voluntary petition may be paid in no more than four installments, upon application to the court.

Does this court make me use a specific Chapter 13 plan form?

Yes. Local Bankruptcy Rule 3015-2 requires all Chapter 13 plans to be filed using the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan in Appendix E, and the court publishes both fillable and printable versions along with completion instructions. Service of the plan and the Notice of Hearing on all creditors, parties in interest and the Chapter 13 trustee is the debtor's or counsel's responsibility, documented by the Appendix E certificate of service.

Can a creditor's representative question me if they are not a lawyer?

Under 11 U.S.C. § 341(c), a creditor holding a consumer debt, or any representative of that creditor, is permitted to appear at and participate in the Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 meeting of creditors, alone or with an attorney, notwithstanding any local rule or other requirement that representation be by an attorney. Nothing in that subsection requires a creditor to be represented by counsel at the meeting.

How long can a bankruptcy appear on a credit report?

Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(1), a consumer reporting agency generally may not report cases under title 11 that antedate the report by more than 10 years, measured from the date of entry of the order for relief. A reporting agency that includes a title 11 case must also identify the chapter when the source of the information provides it, and must note a pre-judgment withdrawal on documentation.

Sources

• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut, "Where To File": "Hartford, Tolland, Windham and New London Counties file with the Hartford Bankruptcy Court."
• 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
• 15 U.S.C. § 1681c — Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports
• 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. 9013-1 — Motions: Form and Service
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 9083-5 — Change of Contact Information or Name
• D. Conn. Bankr. L. R. 4004-1 — Entry of Discharge in Individual Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 Cases
• 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 Payment - How to Submit Payment for Filing and Service Fees via Pay.gov
• 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 Consolidated Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and Appendices
• CTB Instructions for Completing the Local Form Chapter 13 Plan
• 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: what you may keep
• Wage garnishment in Connecticut
• Filing in Hartford County, Connecticut
• Find your local bankruptcy court
• The 341 meeting of creditors: what actually happens
• 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 →