In my office, a straight Chapter 7 case costs $1450, plus there is a filing fee of $306, a credit counseling fee of $40 and administrative fees of $50. For many of my clients, there will be nothing else to be paid. On the other hand, if your case is more complex, including a relation to a business, real estate holdings, or a potentially litigious matter, the fee will be higher based upon the facts and circumstances. If you need to hire me to start taking calls from your creditors, I charge $850, which is applied to your bankruptcy fee if we file your case within six months. Sometimes clients wait much longer and if so we need to charge the full attorneys fee.
In addition, there are other possible charges. If a creditor needs to be added, there is a small fee to amend the schedules. Also, there may be a fee to strip off a lien from your home or other property. Sometimes my clients engage me to file a lawsuit against the IRS to make sure that dischargeable taxes are in fact treated as discharged. Also, if you are sued for fraud or for other reasons, there will likely be additional fees.
For Chapter 13 cases the up front fee is usually approximately $2,500. In Maryland, attorneys are permitted to be paid up to $4,500 for a Chapter 13 case, with half of that being paid along with other creditors as the client successfully completes their payments on a Chapter 13 plan.
For other cases, I charge hourly fees that may vary depending upon the nature of the client and the engagement.
