U.S. FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY COURT
Open your bankruptcy case the right way — with a guided walkthrough of every question.
Form B101 is the official petition you file with a U.S. Bankruptcy Court to formally open your bankruptcy case. Filing it triggers an automatic stay that immediately stops most debt collection, foreclosure, and repossession actions against you.
Average time
1–3 hours to gather information; 30–60 minutes to complete the form
Difficulty
detail-heavy
Best for
Individuals (and married couples) who can no longer pay their debts and want to formally request bankruptcy protection from a federal court
File a complete and accurate bankruptcy petition so the court can open your case, issue the automatic stay to stop collection actions, and assign a trustee to move your case forward.
Incomplete or inaccurate petitions can result in dismissal of your case, loss of the automatic stay, and possible criminal penalties for false statements. Strongly consider hiring a bankruptcy attorney before filing — courts treat self-represented filers the same as attorneys.
Your legal name as it appears on your government-issued ID, any other names you have used in the last 8 years, your Social Security number or ITIN, any Employer Identification Numbers, and your current home address and mailing address.
The chapter of bankruptcy you are filing under (7, 11, 12, or 13), how you will pay the filing fee, whether you have filed for bankruptcy before, whether a related party has a pending case, whether your landlord has an eviction judgment against you, and which court district applies to you.
If you own and operate a business as a sole proprietor, you provide the business name, address, and business type. This section is skipped entirely if you do not have a sole-proprietorship business.
If you own property that poses a public health hazard or needs urgent attention — such as livestock, perishable goods, or a structurally dangerous building — you describe the hazard and its location. Most filers skip this section.
You certify which credit counseling situation applies to you: briefing completed with certificate, briefing completed but certificate not yet received, unable to get briefing due to exigency, or a waiver request. The court may dismiss your case if this is not completed truthfully.
What type of debts you primarily owe (consumer, business, or other), whether funds will be available for unsecured creditors after Chapter 7 exemptions, your estimated number of creditors, and your estimated asset and liability ranges.
Docgle asks calm, plain-English questions and keeps the official source attached for review.
Start form-b101 walkthroughYou sign under penalty of perjury that all information is true and correct. In a joint case, both you and your spouse sign here.
If an attorney represents you, they sign here to certify they have informed you about your bankruptcy options. This section is skipped if you are filing without an attorney.
If you are filing without an attorney, you sign here acknowledging you understand the risks of self-representation. If you paid a non-attorney to help fill out the forms, you provide their name and attach Form 119.