Where to file bankruptcy in Massachusetts

Which Massachusetts court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before you file.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 1
Courts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts

Massachusetts bankruptcy courts and divisions

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before you file. Massachusetts has one district, with offices in Boston, Worcester and Springfield. See the court's locations page: https://www.mab.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts

Divisions: Boston, Worcester, Springfield

Clerk's phone: (617) 748-5300

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Rhode Island: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island
Connecticut: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut
Vermont: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont

Steps to file in Massachusetts

Check where you lived
Your district depends on where you lived most of the last 180 days.
Visit the court's website
Court websites: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Take credit counseling
Use an approved agency. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Prepare the forms
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Ask for free help
Legal aid can help for free: Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association and Community Legal Aid (Central and Western Massachusetts).

Where to get free help in Massachusetts

Questions about filing in Massachusetts

Where do I file bankruptcy in Massachusetts?

What is the median income for the means test in Massachusetts?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $88,202; 2 people: $112,708; 3 people: $139,411; 4 people: $178,524; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Is there free bankruptcy help in Massachusetts?

Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, Community Legal Aid (Central and Western Massachusetts) and South Coastal Counties Legal Services.

Related Massachusetts pages

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Two required courses

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Massachusetts

Short answer

Massachusetts bankruptcy courts and divisions

In nearby states

Steps to file in Massachusetts

Check where you lived

Visit the court's website

Take credit counseling

Prepare the forms

Ask for free help

Where to get free help in Massachusetts

Questions about filing in Massachusetts

Related Massachusetts pages