Upsolve is the largest U.S. bankruptcy nonprofit. Featured in The New York Times, and funded by the Gates Foundation. Our filing tool is completely free.
Chapter 7 has income limits, but most people who need it meet them. You’ll answer a few questions about your household size and income. If you use Upsolve’s free tool, it just takes two minutes to see if you qualify.
Start here →This is a general assessment based on the information you enter — not legal advice or a formal determination of eligibility.
Before you file, you’ll need to pull together a few key documents. One of those is a certificate from a short credit counseling course, which you’ll complete online. It takes 1–2 hours and costs $10–$50 (fee waivers are available for those who qualify).
See the Full Document Checklist →Upsolve generates your bankruptcy forms based on your answers, organized and ready to sign. You can file your forms in person, by mail, or online through the court’s Electronic Self-Representation (eSR) system. To find information specific to your local courthouse, enter your county below.
How Filing Works With Upsolve →About a month after you file, you’ll have a short meeting with your bankruptcy trustee on Zoom. It typically takes about 5 minutes. The trustee will verify your identity and ask a few basic questions about your paperwork.
What To Expect at Your 341 Meeting →After your 341 meeting, you’ll need to take one more short course — a debtor education course on budgeting and managing credit. Once that’s done and any follow-up is resolved, the court erases your eligible debts. That’s your fresh start, usually within 3–4 months of filing.
What Debts Does Chapter 7 Discharge? →New Jersey has one federal bankruptcy district divided into three vicinages: Camden, Newark, and Trenton. The vicinage you file in is determined by the county where you live. Use the court finder in Step 3 to look up your specific courthouse, address, and filing instructions.
If your case is more complex — or you’d just feel better having an attorney review it — free and low-cost legal help is available across New Jersey.
Over 22,000 families have used Upsolve to get a fresh start, for free.
It takes 2 minutes to see if you qualify.
