How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Connecticut

Collect Your Connecticut Bankruptcy Documents

📂 Getting organized is a key first step. Gathering a few important documents now will make it much easier to fill in the details about your income, expenses, and debts in the bankruptcy paperwork.

To start, here are the documents that are required:

• Pay stubs for the past six months

• Your two most recent federal tax returns

• A bank statement that covers your filing date

It’s also helpful to collect a few extra items while you work through your forms:

• Credit card and loan statements

• Bills or letters from debt collectors

• Bank statements from the past 6–12 months

• A recent credit report

📄 You can get a free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool, your credit report will be pulled for you automatically.

Take a Credit Counseling Course

Before you file your Chapter 7 case, you’ll need to take a credit counseling course from a state-approved provider. The class takes about an hour and gives you an overview of bankruptcy, other options for dealing with debt, and your financial situation as a whole. It’s meant to help you feel confident about your next steps.

Just a few things to know before you take it:

• 🗓️ You’ll need to complete it within 180 days before you file.

• 💻 You can take it online, by phone, or sometimes in person.

• 💰 It usually costs $10–$50, but a fee waiver is available if you qualify.

• 📃 You’ll get a certificate when you finish.

Make sure to file your certificate with your forms. If it’s missing, your case could be dismissed.

Complete the Bankruptcy Forms

Filling out your bankruptcy forms is one of the most important parts of the process. The information in these forms helps explain to the court your financial situation, including your income, debts, property, and expenses.

Most of the forms are federal and available for free at USCourts.gov. They’re the same in every state, though some courts also require local forms. You can find details on Connecticut-specific forms in the Connecticut Districts & Filing Requirements later in this guide.

🛠️ If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool, you won’t need to worry about which forms to use. You’ll answer simple questions online, and we’ll prepare the correct forms for you. If you’re working with a lawyer, they’ll usually fill out and submit the forms based on the information you provide.

Get Your Filing Fee

Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy costs $338, but many people qualify for a fee waiver.

The court may let you file for free if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty line. If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool, we’ll help you fill out the waiver form. You’ll just need to submit it yourself.

💡 Not eligible for a waiver? You can ask the court to let you pay in installments instead. This means you’ll pay part of the fee when you file, then make the rest in monthly payments. It’s a helpful option if you can’t afford the full fee up front but need to file quickly to stop things like wage garnishment or repossession. Once your case is filed, the automatic stay takes effect and pauses most collection efforts.

⚠️ That said, if you miss a payment, the court could dismiss your case. Some filers choose to save up the full fee first for peace of mind.

Print Your Bankruptcy Forms

If you’re filing for bankruptcy without a lawyer, you’ll need to print your completed forms and deliver them to the court by mail or in person.

🖨️ Print each form in the correct order. Use black ink and white, letter-size paper (8.5" x 11"). Print single-sided only, and don’t staple or hole-punch anything. This helps the court scan your documents easily.

✍️ Sign your name anywhere there’s a signature line using black or blue ink. Some forms have more than one signature spot, so double-check each page.

🗂️ If you’re using Upsolve’s filing tool, you’ll get a downloadable packet with all your forms in order. Signature pages are clearly marked.

If you’re working with a lawyer, they’ll usually file everything electronically for you.

File Your Forms With the Connecticut Bankruptcy Court

You’ll need to bring your printed forms to the bankruptcy court clerk’s office or send them by mail. Online filing is not available in Connecticut without a lawyer.

The court recommends filing in person if you can. When you file in person, the clerk can quickly check your packet to make sure nothing is missing or unsigned. This can save you time and prevent delays. It also ensures your forms are received immediately instead of getting held up or lost in the mail.

If you aren’t able to make it to the courthouse, you can mail your forms. It’s best to send them via certified mail so you can track the forms and know when they’re received.

Mail Documents to Your Trustee

After you file your case, the court will assign a bankruptcy trustee. The trustee is a neutral person who reviews your forms and makes sure everything is accurate. They also handle any property the court might sell to pay creditors, though in most Chapter 7 cases, that doesn’t happen.

👤 You’ll get your trustee’s name and contact info in an official court notice shortly after you file.

About a week or two after you file, the court will schedule a short appointment called a 341 meeting. This is where the trustee will ask you some questions about your case. Before the meeting, you’ll need to send your trustee a few documents:

• Your two most recent federal tax returns

• A bank statement that covers the day you filed

• A clear copy of your photo ID (like a driver’s license or passport)

• Proof of your Social Security number (like your Social Security card, W-2, or a pay stub with your full SSN)

• Proof of your current income (like a recent pay stub)

In Connecticut, there’s also one extra step. All Chapter 7 filers must complete a Domestic Support Obligation Disclosure Form. 

👉 You can download this form online, but you won’t be able to view it in your browser. Save the file to your computer first, then open it in a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat so you can fill it out. Mail it to your trustee along with your other documents.

📅 Send these at least 14 days before your 341 meeting. If anything is missing, include a short note explaining why.

Your trustee may ask for more paperwork, depending on your case.Responding quickly will help keep things on track.

Take a Debtor Education Course

Next, you need to take a second course called debtor education or personal financial management. This class teaches basic money skills to help you build a stronger financial future. It covers topics like budgeting, saving, and how to avoid common money mistakes.

⚠️You’re required to take this course to get your debts discharged. If you don’t complete it, the court may dismiss your case without wiping out your debt.

Here’s the breakdown:

• You must use a court-approved provider.

• You can take the course online, by phone, or sometimes in person.

• You have 60 days after you meet with your trustee to complete it.

📄 After you finish, you’ll get a certificate of completion. Some course providers file this for you, but if they don’t, you’ll need to submit it to the court yourself.

Attend Your 341 Meeting

About a month after you file your case, you’ll have your 341 meeting with your trustee. This is sometimes called the “meeting of creditors,” but it’s really a chance for your trustee to ask a few questions and make sure everything in your paperwork is accurate.

The court will mail you a notice with the date, time, and instructions for joining. Most 341 meetings are held online via Zoom, and they usually last less than 10 minutes. Just answer honestly and clearly.

📅 When it’s time for your meeting, have these two things ready:

• A government-issued photo ID (like a driver’s license or passport)

• Proof of your Social Security number (such as your Social Security card, W-2, or a pay stub)

Your creditors will also get a notice about the meeting, but they rarely attend. Most of the time, it’s just you and the trustee.

Once it’s over, you’re one big step closer to getting your debts discharged.

Deal With Your Car

In Connecticut, having a car can be a lifeline — for work, errands, or getting kids to school. So it makes sense that many people worry about losing their vehicle when filing bankruptcy. The good news is that many filers are able to keep their car.

Whether you can keep yours depends on a few key things: how much it’s worth, whether you’re still making payments, and how much equity you have — that’s the car’s value minus any loan balance. 

It also depends on what kind of legal protections (called exemptions) apply to your case. If your equity is fully protected by an exemption, you can usually keep the car.

🚗 Let’s go over the options if you’re still making loan payments:

• Reaffirm the loan: This means you agree to keep the car and continue making payments. Most lenders allow this if you’re current on your payments and the loan works with your budget. 

• Redeem the car: You pay the car’s current market value in a lump sum, and the rest of the loan is wiped out. This can be a smart option if you owe more than the car is worth and have access to some cash, like a tax refund or help from family.

• Surrender the car: You give the car back to the lender and erase the rest of the loan. Many people choose this if the payments are too high, the car isn’t reliable, or it no longer fits their needs. 

🚘 If you own your car outright, you can usually keep it as long as the value is protected by an exemption. In Connecticut, filers can choose between using the state or federal exemption system. We’ll go over both later in the Connecticut Bankruptcy Exemptions section.

🚙 If you’re leasing your car, you can choose to keep the lease or return the car and walk away from the remaining payments. Learn how bankruptcy affects car leases.