Bankruptcy can be complicated. The staff of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Clerk's office provides a variety of services; however they are not permitted to assist with the preparation of the voluntary petition, schedules, or other documents, nor can they provide legal advice. All parties must comply with the Local Bankruptcy Rules for the Western District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. Failure to do so will result in dismissal of the case, or other sanctions. The local library has law books that may be of assistance.

Whether you file a chapter 7 or 13 case, you start with the same basic set of forms outlined in the checklists. We do not discuss filing under chapter 11 or 12 because it is uncommon for debtors to file petitions under these chapters pro se (without an attorney). Additionally, because corporations and partnerships are required to have an attorney represent them, these entities may not file petitions pro se.

Most of the forms in the checklists are in fillable PDF format.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print PDF files and PDF fill-in forms. Adobe Acrobat is required to save PDF fill-in forms. Download Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader app for your mobile device