How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Wyoming

Collect Your Wyoming Bankruptcy Documents

Before you can file your case, you’ll need to gather a few important documents. These help you fill out the required bankruptcy forms.

✅ The court or trustee will ask to see:

• Pay stubs from the past six months

• Tax returns from the last two years

• A bank statement that includes the date you plan to file

🗂️ It’s also helpful to collect a few additional documents. These aren’t required, but they can make it easier to complete your bankruptcy forms:

• Bank statements from the last 6–12 months (to help track your income and spending)

• Credit card and loan statements

• Letters or notices from collection agencies

• A recent credit report (to help you make sure you’ve listed every debt)

📄 You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you’re using Upsolve’s free filing tool, we’ll pull your credit report for you automatically.

Take a Credit Counseling Course

Before you can file your Chapter 7 case, you’ll need to complete a credit counseling course. This short course explains your options for managing debt, including bankruptcy, so you can make an informed decision.

💡Here are some important course details:

• You must take the course within 180 days before filing your case.

• You must use a provider approved for Wyoming.

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

• The cost is usually between $10–$50, but fee waivers are available if you can’t afford it.

When you finish, you’ll get a certificate of completion. This must be filed with your bankruptcy forms. If it’s not included when you file, the court may dismiss your case before it can move forward.

Complete the Bankruptcy Forms

To file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you must fill out a set of official forms that explain your financial situation. 

The good news is that the main forms are the same in every state, and they’re available for free at USCourts.gov. Wyoming also requires a few unique local forms. You’ll find more about those in the Wyoming Districts & Filing Requirements section below.

🛠️ If you use Upsolve’s filing tool, you’ll answer a series of questions about your finances, and we’ll use that information to populate your forms for you.

Get Your Filing Fee

Filing a Chapter 7 case costs $338. Don’t worry — if paying that all at once feels out of reach, there are options.

Many low-income filers qualify for a fee waiver. If the court approves your waiver, you won’t have to pay anything to file.

👉 If you’re using Upsolve’s free filing tool, we’ll prepare the fee waiver form for you.

📆 If you don’t qualify for a waiver, you can ask the court for permission to pay the fee in installments. You’ll make an initial payment when you file, then continue with monthly payments until it’s paid in full. 

This option lets you file right away and still get the protection of the automatic stay, which stops collection actions like wage garnishments, repossessions, and foreclosures as soon as your case is filed.

⚠️ That said, installment plans can carry some risk. If you miss a payment, the court could dismiss your case, and your debts won’t be erased.

Print Your Bankruptcy Forms

Once your forms are complete, it’s time to print everything out so you can file your case with the courthouse. 

🖨️ Follow these best practices to get your forms court-ready:

• Use standard 8.5" x 11" white letter-size paper.

• Print in black ink, single-sided only.

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

🖊️ Sign every signature page before you file.

✨ If you’re using Upsolve’s filing tool, you’ll get a downloadable packet with everything you need. Helpful dividers clearly show you where to sign, so you can feel confident that your forms are complete.

File Your Forms With the Wyoming Bankruptcy Court

Once your forms are printed, you’re ready to file them with the court and officially start your case. If you’re filing without a lawyer, you’ll need to submit your bankruptcy forms in person or by mail. 

🏛️ Many filers choose to go in person to the bankruptcy court in Cheyenne. It’s usually faster, and the clerk can quickly check to make sure your packet is complete. If something’s missing — like a signature or a required form — you’ll have a chance to fix it right away.

📬 If going in person isn’t an option, you can also mail your forms to the court in Cheyenne. Just double-check that you’ve signed everything and included all the required forms. It’s a good idea to use a mailing option with tracking so you can confirm your forms arrive.

Mail Documents to Your Trustee

After you file your case, the court will assign a bankruptcy trustee to oversee it. The trustee is a neutral person (not a judge) who reviews your paperwork, collects certain documents, and leads your 341 meeting.

The 341 meeting is a short, required meeting where the trustee asks a few simple questions about your case.

📌 After you file, you’ll get an official notice from the court with your trustee’s name, contact information, and the date of your 341 meeting.

📄 Before the meeting, you’ll need to send your trustee a few documents that help confirm what you listed in your forms. Unless your trustee gives you different instructions, it’s best to send these at least 14 days before your meeting:

• A copy of your most recent federal tax return (or a written explanation if you don’t have one)

• A bank statement for each account you had on the day you filed

• A clear copy of your photo ID

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

• Your most recent pay stub or other proof of income

✉️ You might also get a letter from your trustee asking for a few more documents. Try to follow their instructions closely and meet any deadlines they give you. It’s one of the best ways to help your case stay on track.

Take a Debtor Education Course

To wrap up your Chapter 7 case and get your discharge, you’ll need to take one more course. This second course is called debtor education. It focuses on budgeting, saving, and building healthy money habits so you can make the most of your fresh start.

📚 Here’s what to know:

• You must take the course from an approved provider.

• It takes 1–2 hours and costs $10–$50, unless you qualify for a fee waiver.

• You’ll need to finish it within 60 days of your 341 meeting.

• After you complete it, you’ll get a certificate of completion.

📂 Some course providers will file your certificate with the court, but not all of them do. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to file it yourself. Without that certificate, the court can dismiss your case before your debts are officially wiped out.

Attend Your 341 Meeting

About a month after you file your case, you’ll have a short video meeting with your bankruptcy trustee. This is called the 341 meeting, or meeting of creditors. It’s a standard part of every Chapter 7 case. And despite the name, creditors rarely attend.

💻 Most 341 meetings are held on Zoom. Your court notice will include the date, time, and login instructions.

During the meeting, the trustee will place you under oath and ask a few straightforward questions about your paperwork. Their goal is to confirm that everything in your forms is accurate and up to date. The whole thing usually takes less than 10 minutes.

📄 Just in case, have these items handy:

• A copy of your bankruptcy forms

• The documents you sent to your trustee (like your tax return and bank statement)

• Your court notice with your case number and meeting details

🎉 If everything checks out, the court will usually grant your debt discharge 2–3 months after the meeting. That’s the finish line and the start of your fresh financial chapter.

Deal With Your Car

Your car is probably one of the most important things you own, and thankfully, filing for bankruptcy doesn’t mean you’ll lose it. In fact, many people are able to keep their car.

Filers can typically keep their vehicles if their equity in the car is less than the exemption they claim to protect it. ➡️ Wyoming’s vehicle exemption lets you protect up to $5,000 of equity in one car. If your equity is at or below this amount, you’ll likely be able to keep your car. We’ll go over exemptions in more detail later in the Wyoming Exemptions section.

🚗 If you own your car outright: You can keep it as long as its value is less than the exemption amount. 

🚘 If you’re still making payments on a car loan: You have a few options depending on your loan status and financial goals.

• Reaffirm the loan: If your payments are current and you want to keep the car, you can reaffirm the loan. This means you agree to keep making payments as usual, and you’ll stay responsible for the loan after your case ends. Both the lender and court must agree to the reaffirmation.

• Redeem the car: If you owe a lot more than your car is worth, you may be able to redeem it. Redemption means paying the lender a lump sum equal to the car’s current value (not the full loan balance). The lender must agree to this, and you’ll need access to a lump sum of money to do it.

• Surrender the car: If keeping the car doesn’t make financial sense, you can surrender it to the lender. You’ll no longer have to make payments, and the rest of the loan will be wiped out in your bankruptcy.

📄 If you lease your car: You can choose to assume the lease (keep it and stay current on payments) or reject the lease (return the car and walk away).