How Much A Lawyer Charges For Chapter 7 in Wyoming in 2024

1. Bankruptcy Attorney Fees Wyoming

A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is often less expensive than Chapter 13 bankruptcy. That said, you often have to qualify for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy based on the Wyoming bankruptcy means test.  As stated above, Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorneys in Wyoming can cost between $1200 – $1862. The cost may increase or decrease based on the following factors:

The bankruptcy lawyer cost is often based on the following attributes:

1. Which type of chapter you are filing (i.e. Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13)
2. The complexity of your case (i.e. no asset vs asset)
3. Your location (i.e. Cheyenne vs Casper)
4. Level of attorney connection
5. Attorney expertise (i.e. how many years of experience)

Here are some of the ranges of cost in major cities in Wyoming.

Attorney Fees in Cheyenne

Cheyenne is the most populated city in Wyoming with a population of 63,957. Bankruptcy attorneys in Cheyenne can cost an estimated $1,500.

Attorney Fees in Casper

Bankruptcy attorneys in Casper can cost an estimated $1,500.

Attorney Fees in Laramie

Bankruptcy attorneys in Laramie can cost an estimated $1,200.

2. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Attorney Fees Wyoming

Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys fees in Wyoming can cost $3,500. The fee can depend on the district.

While Chapter 7 attorney fees have variability, many Chapter 13 fees are relatively similar based on no-look fees, a reasonable cost for the service provided. You may still want to see whether the attorney charges an hourly rate for any additional work after filing the Chapter 13

3. Bankruptcy Filing Costs

Bankruptcy filing costs are pretty similar across the United States, not just Wyoming. Here are the other costs to consider.

Bankruptcy Filing Fees

The US Courthouse has a fee schedule and a bankruptcy form that provides the filing fee.

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fee is $338 ($245 filing fee $78 administrative fee + $15 trustee surcharge).

The Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing fee is $313 ($235 filing fee + $78 administrative fee).

If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may be able to pay the filing fee in installments or it could be waived altogether. For more information, please see the Wyoming filing fee information and the information below.

Wyoming Filing Fee Waiver Guidelines

You may be eligible to have your Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fees waived if you are below 150% of Wyoming poverty guidelines. For example, you can see the guidelines below for cases filed within Wyoming in 2022.

Mandatory Course Costs

When you file bankruptcy, you have to take an approved credit counseling course in Wyoming and a debtor education course. You can often take both courses online. The average cost may is around $10 to $50 per course. Please note that the courses must be approved, so here is the list of approved Wyoming credit counseling courses and Wyoming debtor education courses that should also have the cost associated with the course.

Miscellaneous Costs

You may have to pay for transportation to the meeting of creditors at the courthouse, but most 341 meetings of creditors are still online even after COVID. You may also have to pay for a credit report for your attorney (although they may be able to help you with the credit report).

You can estimate the cost of transportation to one of the bankruptcy courts below:

District of Wyoming

• 2120 Capitol Avenue
  Room 2131
  Cheyenne, WY 82001
• 111 S. Wolcott Street
  Room 121
  District of Wyoming
• 105 Albright Avenue
  Mammoth, WY 82190

Will Inflation Affect the Cost To File Bankruptcy in Wyoming?

With subsiding inflation in 2024, a question I’ve heard is whether inflation will slow to the extent that attorney fees may not rise. Let’s cover whether inflation may affect the filing fee and the attorney costs in Wyoming.

The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing fee was updated from $335 to $338, and the Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing fee was updated from $310 to $313 effective December 1st, 2020. Based on the very slight change, I would not expect the filing fee to negatively impact you.

You may see some inflation in attorney fee costs as inflation may force bankruptcy attorneys to pay more to employees and face higher costs of living themselves in cities such as Casper or Laramie or across Wyoming.

Would My Bankruptcy Cost Be Higher Cheyenne Than Laramie?

You may live in a suburb in Wyoming and wonder if you should hire a local attorney or an account in a bigger city like Casper to save on bankruptcy costs.

As Cheyenne has the highest population in Wyoming of 63,957, you may expect that the cost of bankruptcy attorney fees may be higher in Cheyenne than Laramie.

While the cost may be higher in Cheyenne, there also may be more bankruptcy attorneys, increasing competition and dropping prices. So, you actually could find that the total cost to file bankruptcy including bankruptcy fees could be actually much higher in your city than in Cheyenne.

One thing to be aware of is that most bankruptcy attorneys offer free bankruptcy consultations, so you can get multiple perspectives. Also, our bankruptcy cost calculator below takes into consideration those variables when providing you with an all-in cost estimate.

Why Do Some Attorneys Charge Higher Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Fees?

You may compare prices from two different bankruptcy attorneys in Casper, and find attorney costs vary between two attorneys.

The Chapter 13 bankruptcy attorneys often charge the same amount regardless in Laramie due to the no-look fee (a normal fee for the services provided). That said, the Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney fee can vary greatly, so it’s important to understand what you are getting for the additional cost.

For example, let’s say you make $10,000 above the median income for Wyoming and still want to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The attorney may then have to spend additional time looking over your expenses to see whether you would qualify for a Chapter 7 even though you are above the median. Additional attorney time generally means a higher overall bankruptcy cost.

Conclusion

As you can see, the cost to file bankruptcy in Wyoming is often based on the city in which you live and the type of bankruptcy that you are filing. The biggest variable that affects all-in bankruptcy cost is the attorney fee, which may range between  $1200 – $1862 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and $3,500 for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Hopefully, this article provides helpful information to help you understand the all-in costs to file bankruptcy with a bankruptcy lawyer. Please reach out if you have any questions or take the free Wyoming bankruptcy cost calculator.