Chapter 13 Wizard
What Is a Chapter 13 and How Will It Save Me From Eviction?
Chapter 13 is a federal bankruptcy protection that immediately stops an eviction the moment it is filed. When you submit a Chapter 13 petition, the “automatic stay” goes into effect, which legally freezes all eviction activity—including hearings, judgments, lockouts, and sheriff removals. This stay is one of the strongest protections in the entire legal system. It forces the landlord and the court to stop everything until the bankruptcy judge reviews your case. Chapter 13 allows renters to reorganize debts, challenge incorrect balances, and create a payment plan on their own terms while remaining in their home. For tenants facing an emergency lockout or a judge who ignored their rights, Chapter 13 is often the most powerful tool available to regain control, stop the eviction instantly, and protect themselves from being removed.
How Do I File a Chapter 13 by Myself If I Am Not an Attorney?
To file a Chapter 13 on your own, you only need three simple items: your Chapter 13 package, your credit-counseling certificate, and your creditors’ matrix. The Chapter 13 package is just the set of forms the court requires, and it’s far easier than it looks—especially because your creditors’ matrix does most of the heavy lifting. Your matrix is simply a list of everyone you owe money to and their mailing addresses, and once that list is created, it automatically populates large parts of your filing for you. The only other item you need is your credit-counseling certificate, which you can get online in about an hour. And if any section of the package seems confusing, the Chapter 13 Wizard fills in the parts you don’t understand—you just answer the simple questions it asks, and it completes the rest for you.
Chapter 13 Section A
Section A gathers the essential financial details needed to begin creating your Chapter 13 filing. Here, you’ll enter information about your income, employment, household, and living situation. These answers help the system build the foundation of your Chapter 13 petition and activate your legal protections. If a question does not apply to you, you can simply skip it. Just provide whatever information fits your situation, and the wizard will translate your responses into the correct legal format.
Chapter 13 Section B
Section B explores your regular expenses and outstanding debts so the system can understand your monthly financial obligations. You’ll enter details about rent, utilities, transportation, credit accounts, loans, and any other bills you manage each month. Your answers help calculate your true disposable income and shape a realistic repayment plan. If you come across a question that doesn’t apply to you, you can simply skip it. Only fill out what matches your financial reality, and the wizard will handle the rest.
Chapter 13 Section C
Section C completes the financial picture by gathering any remaining income sources, irregular expenses, secured debts, or special circumstances that may affect your case. This final step allows the system to generate a complete, accurate Chapter 13 package tailored specifically to you. If a question doesn’t apply to your situation, you can simply skip it—there’s no need to answer every field. Once finished, the wizard compiles all of your information from Sections A, B, and C into the official documents required to activate Chapter 13 protection immediately.
Great Job! The Hard Part Is Now Finished! Next, It Is Time to Get Your Credit Counseling Certificate.
Real People, Real Results
To get your creditors’ matrix, the simplest method is to use DebtorCC.com, the same website that provides your credit-counseling certificate. Just go to www.debtorcc.com (or call ((800) 610-3920, choose the Pre-Filing Credit Counseling Course, and create your account. As you complete the course, the system asks you to list all of your creditors — names, addresses, and account details. When you finish, DebtorCC automatically generates a clean, court-approved creditors’ matrix for you. This is one of the easiest parts of filing a Chapter 13 because the website formats everything exactly the way the court wants it. You simply download the matrix, attach it to your filing package, and you’re done. This single step removes nearly all of the difficulty from the paperwork and saves you from hours of typing or formatting mistakes. Make sure to ONLY choose the email delivery option so that your certificate is delivered instantly. If you cannot find this option on the website please call the number above.
Only One More Thing to Do and You Are Ready to File! Time to Create Your Creditors Matrix.
A creditors’ matrix is simply a typed list of everyone you owe money to, written in a clean, stacked format so the court’s computer system can read it. It looks exactly like the sample above: each creditor’s name, mailing address, city, state, and ZIP code, with one creditor listed after another. There is nothing complicated about it — you can create your matrix in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Notepad, or even the notes app on your phone. As long as each creditor is typed on its own block, just like the sample, the court will accept it. If you prefer an even easier method, websites like DebtorCC.com will generate the matrix for you automatically after you complete your credit counseling. Once you have your list, you simply download it or save it as a PDF and attach it to your Chapter 13 filing. This is one of the easiest parts of the entire process, and most people finish their matrix in just a few minutes.
Great! You Have Finished the Paperwork! You Only Have One More Thing to Do Before You File: Fill Out Your Fee Waiver Form.
If you cannot afford the court’s filing fee, you can request a fee waiver by completing the official Application to Have the Chapter 13 Filing Fee Waived or Paid in Installments. This is a free form that you must locate online, download, and fill out yourself before filing. Every bankruptcy court posts its own version of this form on its website, so all you have to do is search for “Chapter 13 fee waiver form” plus the name of your district, download the PDF, and type in your basic financial information. Once completed, you attach it to your Chapter 13 package when you file your case. This simple form tells the clerk that you are requesting permission to file without paying the full fee upfront, and many courts allow you to pay in small installments — or sometimes waive the fee entirely — if you qualify. This is a quick, straightforward step that can save you hundreds of dollars at the time of filing.
Time to File!
Congratulations on being ready to file your Chapter 13 bankruptcy! At this point you’ve gathered all your documents, completed your credit-counseling, built your matrix, and prepared your filing package — you’re ready to take your case to the court clerk. Print out every form and document, organize them in the order required by the court, and bring them with you to the bankruptcy court location listed above for your county. In most jurisdictions, the clerk will review all of your paperwork and simply tell you it is complete — period. Some courts may ask for extra paperwork — and if they do, it will be your responsibility to provide it — but don’t worry. No matter what, once your case is accepted you will receive the Automatic Stay — the protection that immediately stops creditor actions, including eviction, while your plan moves forward. Whether the court asks you to return in two weeks with more documents or not, once your Automatic Stay is in place, you are safe from eviction protection under federal bankruptcy law!
Bankruptcy Court Locations – Georgia (Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Cobb Counties)
or residents of Fulton County, Gwinnett County, DeKalb County, and Cobb County, Georgia, Chapter 13 bankruptcies are filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia – Atlanta Division:
Northern District of Georgia – Atlanta Division
Richard B. Russell Federal Building & United States Courthouse
75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 215-1000
This court handles cases for most Metro Atlanta counties including Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cobb.
Bankruptcy Court Locations – Florida
Below are the courts where renters in your Florida service areas should file their Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions:
Middle District of Florida – Orlando Division (Orange County)
George C. Young Federal Courthouse
400 W. Washington Street, Suite 5100
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 237-8000
Middle District of Florida – Tampa Division (Hillsborough County)
Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse
801 N. Florida Avenue, Suite 555
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 301-5162
Middle District of Florida – Jacksonville Division (Duval County)
Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse
300 North Hogan Street, Suite 3-150
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 301-6490
Southern District of Florida – Miami Division (Miami-Dade County)
C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse
301 North Miami Avenue, Room 150
Miami, FL 33128
Phone: (305) 714-1800
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