Calhoun County, Florida

Which bankruptcy court hears a case from Calhoun County?

Calhoun County sits in the Panama City Division of the Northern District of Florida (N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2)). That assignment is the one genuinely county-specific fact here. Everything else governing the case is division-wide or district-wide, and the Bankruptcy Code reads the same in every county.

Venue is a separate question. 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 were located for the 180 days before filing, or for a longer part of that period than any other district (28 U.S.C. § 1408). Residence alone is not the whole rule.

Because of damage from Hurricane Michael, hearings in cases filed in or assigned to the Panama City Division are held in Tallahassee (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008). A debtor who prefers Pensacola may file a motion using the court's local form.

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

Only individuals, including married couples, may file bankruptcy or appear before this court without a lawyer; any other debtor must be represented by counsel. A self-represented debtor must still comply with the Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and this district's local rules as if represented, and the court warns that failure to do so can result in dismissal or other sanctions (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).

The same page is explicit that the judges, their staff, the Clerk and the Clerk's staff may not give legal advice, help prepare a petition or schedules, or recommend an attorney.

Self-represented debtors are not given CM/ECF filing access unless the Chief Bankruptcy Judge orders an exception, and routine filings by email or fax are no longer accepted. Documents go by mail or commercial carrier to the Clerk's Office in Tallahassee, in person at the Tallahassee or Pensacola intake counter, or into a lobby drop box (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004).

How does the meeting of creditors work in this district?

The United States trustee, not the judge, convenes and presides at the meeting of creditors, and the court may neither preside at nor attend it (11 U.S.C. § 341). Before the meeting ends, the trustee orally examines a Chapter 7 debtor to confirm awareness of the consequences of seeking a discharge, the option of a different chapter, the effect of a discharge, and the effect of reaffirming a debt (11 U.S.C. § 341).

You must give the trustee a copy or transcript of your most recent federal income tax return not later than 7 days before the first date set for the meeting (11 U.S.C. § 521).

The district's Trustee Information page links the U.S. Trustee Program's educational videos about these meetings and its language access plan, and states that requests for sign language or spoken language assistance must be made before the meeting date; an unrepresented debtor should contact the trustee assigned to the case (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Trustee Information).

What local rules and orders change the process here?

Several orders of this court change the mechanics of a case, and they reach Calhoun County through the district rather than by county.

Once the court adopts and posts a required local form order for a motion, application or objection, parties must use that form without material alterations; failure to use it may result in the court rejecting the proposed order or denying the underlying request (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001). Filers are told to use the federal and local forms the court publishes rather than forms from another court or superseded versions (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms).

Chapter 13 practice carries the most local structure: a district Chapter 13 plan form, and a standing order covering attorney fees, adequate protection payments, annual statements and tax returns (Bankr. N.D. Fla. SO #19). A motion to extend or impose the automatic stay must be filed within five days of the petition and supported by an affidavit, verification, or unsworn declaration (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002).

What are the court's fees, and what if you cannot pay at filing?

A Chapter 7 case carries a filing fee of $245 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1)), plus an administrative fee of $78 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8) and a trustee payment of $15 (Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9). A Chapter 13 case carries a filing fee of $235 (28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B)) plus the same $78 administrative fee. The court's own fee schedule lists what it collects at filing; check it for current totals (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Fees).

The fee is due in full when the petition is filed unless the petition comes with a signed application to pay in installments, or, in Chapter 7, a signed application to have the filing fee waived, and the court approves it (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees). The same page states that failure to pay as directed results in dismissal, that this court does not accept cash, and that personal checks from debtors are not accepted.

Which Florida questions should you settle before filing?

Florida's exemption statutes supply the dollar amounts a filer works with, and they are worth settling before the petition goes in. Florida's constitutional homestead protection states no dollar ceiling, but it is bounded by acreage, 160 contiguous acres outside a municipality or one-half contiguous acre within one, and remains subject to the constitutional creditor exceptions and the federal bankruptcy caps (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(1)).

Other Florida figures a filer commonly checks: a single motor vehicle at $5,000 (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(1)); constitutional personal property at $1,000 (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(2)); and, for a debtor who does not claim a homestead exemption, an additional personal-property exemption of $4,000, unavailable for child-support or spousal-support debt (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(4)).

Qualifying tax-exempt retirement funds, life-insurance cash value and annuity proceeds, workers' compensation and reemployment assistance are each exempt without a stated dollar cap (Fla. Stat. § 222.21(2); Fla. Stat. § 222.14; Fla. Stat. § 440.22; Fla. Stat. § 443.051(2)).

Where can a Calhoun County resident get help?

The court's pages point self-represented filers to free and reduced-cost help, while stating that assistance may depend on the organisation's resources or your income and is not assured. Listed options include the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic, the Bankruptcy Bar Association's P.L.A.N. pro bono initiative, the Florida State University College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic, which the court has certified by administrative order, the Florida Bar's lawyer referral service, FloridaLawHelp.org, FloridaFreeLegalAnswers.org, Legal Services of North Florida and Three Rivers Legal Services (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney).

Clerk's Office staff can answer administrative questions about a case, but are prohibited from giving legal advice or acting as an advocate (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us).

Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Arthur, our AI Navigator, can build you a free roadmap, and with your consent we can introduce you to a participating firm admitted in this district.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Calhoun County case get heard in Panama City?

Calhoun County cases are assigned to the Panama City Division, but hearings in Panama City Division cases are held in Tallahassee (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008). The court's pro se fee handout states that the Panama City courthouse is closed indefinitely because of Hurricane Michael damage (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees). A debtor who would rather appear in Pensacola may file the court's local motion form.

Can a self-represented filer send documents by email?

No, not as a routine matter. The court no longer accepts routine filings by email or facsimile from self-represented parties; documents go by mail or commercial carrier to the Clerk's Office, in person at the Tallahassee or Pensacola intake counter, or into a lobby drop box (Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004). An Emergency Filing Service accepts certain emailed documents only while the Clerk's Office is closed, and they are not docketed until the next business day (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us).

Can a Florida filer choose the federal exemption list?

The sources supplied for this page do not state whether a Florida filer may elect the federal exemption list, so this page does not answer that question. What these sources do give are Florida's own amounts, such as $5,000 for a single motor vehicle (Fla. Stat. § 222.25(1)). The election itself is a question for an attorney or one of the clinics the court lists.

What if the filing fee cannot be paid all at once?

A signed application to pay the filing fee in installments may accompany the petition, and in a Chapter 7 case a signed application to have the filing fee waived; either needs the court's approval (Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees). The same handout describes the waiver as turning on income less than 150% of the official poverty line and inability to pay in installments, and states that failure to pay as directed results in dismissal.

Will a judge be at the meeting of creditors?

No. The court may not preside at or attend any meeting of creditors; the United States trustee convenes and presides (11 U.S.C. § 341). A creditor holding a consumer debt, or that creditor's representative, may appear and participate without an attorney. In a Chapter 7 case the trustee must orally examine the debtor before the meeting concludes.

Is credit counseling required before filing?

Yes. The court's Chapter 13 page states that debtors must obtain credit counseling from an approved provider within 6 months before filing and complete a personal financial management course from an approved provider after filing (Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment; 11 U.S.C. § 521). It adds that failing to obtain the required certifications may result in dismissal or withholding of the discharge.

Sources

• N.D. Fla. LBR 1014-1(A)(2) — Local Bankruptcy Rules, Northern District of Florida
• 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
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 18-008 — Relocation of Hearings in Panama City Division Cases
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 25-004 — Administrative Order Modifying the Means of Filing Pleadings By Self-Represented Parties
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Filing Without an Attorney
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Trustee Information
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Contact Us
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. AO 26-001 — Administrative Order Mandating Use of Required Local Form Orders
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Forms
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. SO #19 — Chapter 13 Attorneys Fees, Adequate Protection Payments, Annual Statements, Form Plan, and Tax Returns
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. Amended AO 15-002 — Procedures for Motions to Extend or Impose the Automatic Stay
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A), (f)(1) · official source
• 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(B) · official source
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 8
• Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, Item 9
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Fees
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. Filing Fees
• Bankr. N.D. Fla. official page — Chapter 13 - Individual Debt Adjustment
• Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(1)
• Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(2)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.25(1)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.25(4)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.21(2)
• Fla. Stat. § 222.14
• Fla. Stat. § 440.22
• Fla. Stat. § 443.051(2)

Related

• Build your personalised roadmap
• Find your local bankruptcy court
• The 341 meeting of creditors: what actually happens
• Filing bankruptcy in Hillsborough County, Florida
• Filing bankruptcy in Miami-Dade County, Florida
• 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 →

Florida median income

Median annual income, household of one

$69,876

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 →

What Florida law protects

This state has opted out of the federal exemption list for debtors whose applicable exemption law is this state's law. Which state's law applies is set by 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A) from where the filer was domiciled before filing, not from where they live today — and § 522(b)(3) still allows the federal list where that domicile rule would otherwise leave a debtor with no exemptions at all.

All Florida exemptions, with their statutes →