Washington
King County, Washington
King County is assigned to the Seattle Division of the Western District of Washington under the court's own assignment rule. Which court a case may be filed in is decided separately, by 28 U.S.C. § 1408.
The court King County is assigned to
Seattle Division, Western District of Washington (wawb)
Bankruptcy venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1408, not by county alone. It can rest on domicile, residence, a principal place of business, or principal assets in the United States, measured over the 180 days before filing — so a recent move can change which district is available. Confirm venue before filing.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wash. — Local Bankruptcy Rule 1072-1: after listing the Tacoma counties (Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum), "All other cases shall be filed at Seattle." (i.e., the remaining Western District counties: Clallam, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom)
The Western District of Washington in detail →Court source →
What it costs to file here
- Chapter 7 — total court charges at filing
- $338
- 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 →
Washington median income
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 →
Bankruptcy lawyers serving King County
No firm currently participates in King County. Tell Arthur what is happening and ask to be connected — the request reaches a person either way, and nothing is shared until you say so.
Turn this into a plan for your exact situation, state, and court.
See My Debt Relief Options→Are you a bankruptcy firm admitted in this district? See whether King County is open →