How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Kansas

Collect Your Kansas Bankruptcy Documents

Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Kansas involves a lot of paperwork. Getting organized from the start can make everything else easier. 

One of the first things you’ll need to do is gather documents that show your income, debts, and finances. 

Some of these are required when you file your case, including:

• Pay stubs from the last six months

• Tax returns from the last two years

• A bank statement that covers your bankruptcy filing date

While not required, it’s also good to gather the following documents to make it easier to fill out your forms:

• Credit card and loan statements

• Letters or notices from debt collectors

• Bank statements from the past 6–12 months

• A recent credit report

📄 You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a week at AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit report shows what you owe and who your creditors are, which is essential for your forms. 

🛠️ If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool, it will automatically pull your credit report for you.

Complete the Bankruptcy Forms

The first step in filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filling out forms that explain your income, debts, expenses, and assets. These are federal forms, so they’re the same no matter where you live. 

💻 You can download them for free from USCourts.gov. Some courts also require local forms. You’ll find more about Kansas-specific forms in the Kansas Districts & Filing Requirements section below.

🛠️ If you qualify to use Upsolve’s free filing tool, it will walk you through a simple questionnaire and fill out the forms for you. 

If you decide to hire a bankruptcy lawyer, they’ll complete and submit the forms for you based on the information you provide.

Take a Credit Counseling Course

Before you can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Kansas, you need to complete a credit counseling course. 

📚 This is a required course that helps you understand the pros and cons of filing for bankruptcy and walks you through other debt relief options.

Here’s how it works:

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

• The course must be taken from a court-approved provider.

• It usually costs $10–$50, depending on the provider, but you may qualify for a fee waiver.

• You must complete the course within 180 days before you file your bankruptcy forms.

✅ Once you finish the course, you’ll get a certificate of completion. You’ll need to file this certificate with your bankruptcy paperwork. If you don’t, the court can dismiss your case.

Get Your Filing Fee/Prepare Your Fee Waiver Form

The fee to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Kansas is $338, but many people qualify for a fee waiver and file for free. 

You may be eligible for a fee waiver if your income is below 150% of the federal poverty guideline.

🗓️ If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver but can’t afford to pay the full fee, you can ask the court to let you pay in installments. Some people choose this option if they need to file quickly to stop a wage garnishment or other urgent collection action. 

⏸️ Filing your case activates something called the automatic stay, which pauses most collection efforts right away.

Just keep in mind that if you miss an installment, the court may dismiss your case.

Print Your Bankruptcy Forms

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

✍️ Even if you’re filing by email, you still need to print and hand-sign every page that requires a signature. The court doesn’t accept typed or digital signatures from people filing on their own.

When printing your forms:

• Use black ink.

• Print single-sided.

• Use standard white 8.5” x 11” paper.

• Don’t staple or hole-punch your pages.

• Sign every page that requires a signature.

✨ If you’re filing with Upsolve, you’ll receive a complete packet that’s ready to print. It includes clear page markers to help you find and sign every required spot so you don’t miss anything important.

If you work with a lawyer, they’ll typically handle printing and filing for you.

✔️ You can use this Chapter 7 checklist to stay organized.

File Your Forms With the Kansas Bankruptcy Court

Once your forms are ready, the next step is getting them to the court to officially file your case. If you’re filing without a lawyer in Kansas, you can do this in person, by mail, or by email.

Kansas has three bankruptcy court locations: Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita. You can submit your forms to any of them. We’ll cover more details in the Kansas Districts & Filing Requirements section below.

👣 Filing in person has some advantages. The clerk can look over your forms and let you know if anything’s missing or needs a signature. It can also be quicker than waiting for mail delivery or email processing.

Mail Documents to Your Trustee

Once you file your bankruptcy case, the court will assign a bankruptcy trustee. 

🧑‍💻 The trustee is a neutral person who reviews your paperwork, makes sure everything is accurate, and handles any property-related issues. (In most Chapter 7 cases, you won’t have to give anything up.) 

They also lead your 341 meeting, which is a short review about your case.

According to the U.S. Trustee Program, you’ll need to mail your trustee a few important documents before your 341 meeting:

• Your two most recent federal tax returns

• A bank statement that covers the day you filed your case

• A clear copy of your 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 with your full SSN)

• Proof of your current income, like a recent pay stub

📅 Try to send these at least 14 days before your 341 meeting. If you’re missing something, you can include a short note explaining why.

You’ll get your trustee’s name and contact information in a notice from the court shortly after you file. Some trustees ask for additional paperwork, too. Sending what they request quickly can help avoid delays.

Take the Required Debtor Education/Financial Management Course

After you file for bankruptcy, there’s one more class to complete before your debts can be wiped out. This second course is called debtor education. 

🔎 It focuses on money management basics like budgeting, using credit wisely, and setting financial goals. It’s designed to help you make the most of your fresh start.

Here are some important details:

• You must take the course after you file your case but within 60 days after your 341 meeting.

• You have to take the course from a court-approved provider.

• It typically takes about an hour to complete and costs $10–$50, depending on the provider.

✅ Once you finish, you’ll get a certificate of completion, which must be filed with the court. Some providers will send the certificate to the court on your behalf. Be sure to double-check that yours is received so your case isn’t at risk of being dismissed.

Attend Your 341 Meeting

About a month after you file, you’re required to attend a short meeting with your trustee called the 341 meeting, or meeting of creditors. 

The trustee’s main job is to confirm your identity and ask about the information in your forms. They’ll verify your name and Social Security number and may ask basic questions about your income, expenses, or property. It’s not a test, and there are no trick questions. The trustee just wants to make sure your paperwork is complete and accurate.

👥 Creditors are allowed to attend, but in most cases, they don’t show up. It’s usually just you and the trustee.

🪪 You’ll need to bring:

• 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 pay stub with your full SSN)

💻 Most 341 meetings are held online by video, usually through Zoom. You can ask for a phone or in-person meeting if that works better for you. 

The meeting often lasts less than 10 minutes. Reviewing your forms ahead of time can help you feel more confident going in.

💡Learn what to expect at your 341 meeting.

Deal With Your Car

If you rely on your car to get to work, school, or take care of your family, the idea of losing it can feel overwhelming. The good news is that filing Chapter 7 doesn’t automatically mean giving up your vehicle. In fact, many people keep their car when they file bankruptcy.

Whether you can keep your vehicle depends on its value, your loan status, and your exemptions.

Generally speaking, you can keep your car if your equity is protected by the $20,000 motor vehicle exemption in Kansas exemption.

🚗 If you own your car outright: Your equity is equal to your car’s current market value. You can find this on Kelley Blue Book or similar websites.

🚘 If you have a car loan, you generally have three options:

• Reaffirm the loan: If you’re up to date on your loan and want to keep the car, you can sign an agreement with the lender to keep paying under the same terms and continue the loan. To do this, your equity in the car must be less than the $20,000 exemption.

• Redeem the car: If you owe more than your car is worth, you can redeem the car by paying the lender the current fair market value of the car in one lump sum. Then, any remaining loan balance is wiped out. 

• Surrender the car: If you owe more than the car is worth or simply don’t want to keep it, you can give it back to your lender and have the loan debt discharged as part of your bankruptcy.

If you’re leasing a car, you can keep the lease and continue payments or return the car and end the lease. Learn more in our guide to bankruptcy and car leases.