Upsolve is the largest U.S. bankruptcy nonprofit. Featured in The New York Times, and funded by the Gates Foundation. Our filing tool is completely free.
Chapter 7 has income limits, but most people who need it meet them. You'll answer a few questions about your household size and income. If you use Upsolve's free tool, it just takes two minutes to see if you qualify.
Start here →This is a general assessment based on the information you enter — not legal advice or a formal determination of eligibility.
Before you file, you'll need to pull together a few key documents. One of those is a certificate from a short credit counseling course, which you'll complete online. It takes 1–2 hours and costs $10–$50 (fee waivers are available for those who qualify).
See the Full Document Checklist →Upsolve generates your bankruptcy forms based on your answers, organized and ready to sign. Pennsylvania has three federal bankruptcy districts — Eastern, Middle, and Western — and where you file depends on the county where you live. You can file in person, by mail, or electronically depending on your district. To find information specific to your local courthouse, enter your county below.
How Filing Works With Upsolve →About a month after you file, you'll have a short meeting with your bankruptcy trustee. Many 341 meetings are held virtually. It typically takes about 5 minutes. The trustee will verify your identity and ask a few basic questions about your paperwork.
What To Expect at Your 341 Meeting →After your 341 meeting, you'll need to take one more short course — a debtor education course on budgeting and managing credit. Once that's done and any follow-up is resolved, the court erases your eligible debts. That's your fresh start, usually within 3–4 months of filing.
What Debts Does Chapter 7 Discharge? →Pennsylvania is divided into three federal bankruptcy districts: Eastern, Middle, and Western. The district you file in is determined by the county where you live. Use the court finder in Step 3 to look up your specific courthouse, address, and filing instructions.
If your case is more complex — or you'd just feel better having an attorney review it — free and low-cost legal help is available across Pennsylvania.
Over 22,000 families have used Upsolve to get a fresh start, for free.
It takes 2 minutes to see if you qualify.
