You may file your bankruptcy petition at the Clerk's Office located at 701 Broadway, 1st Floor, Nashville TN 37203. The Clerk's Office hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday except official holidays. You may also mail your completed paperwork to the Clerk's Office, 701 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. Payment for the required filing fee may be made by money order or cashier's checks only, no personal checks.

The forms may be downloaded by visiting the Library>Forms section of this website.

If hiring an attorney is not possible, you can may also purchase bankruptcy forms from most legal stationery stores and some bookstores.

The United States Congress has passed bankruptcy reform legislation. This new bankruptcy legislation includes new income considerations when filing for bankruptcy, and will require debtors with income above a certain amount to file Chapter 13 instead of Chapter 7. The Clerk's Office is not allowed to give legal advice and can't tell you how this new legislation will affect you. If you have questions about this, you should contact a qualified bankruptcy attorney.

Chapter 7: Often called the "liquidation chapter," Chapter 7 is used by individuals, partnerships, or corporations who have no hope for repairing their financial situation. In Chapter 7, the debtor's estate is liquidated under the rules of the Bankruptcy Code. Liquidation is the process through which the debtor's non-exempt property is sold for cash by a trustee and the cash is distributed to creditors.
Chapter 11: Often called the "reorganization chapter," Chapter 11 allows corporations, partnerships, and individuals to reorganize their debts, without having to liquidate all their assets. In a Chapter 11 case, the debtor presents a plan to creditors which, if accepted by the creditors and approved by the Court, will allow the debtor to reorganize personal, financial or business affairs and again become financially productive.

Chapter 13: An individual with regular income who is overcome by debts, but believes such debts can be repaid within a reasonable period of time, may file under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 13 permits the debtor to file a plan in which the debtor agrees to pay a certain percentage of future income to the Bankruptcy Court for payment to creditors. If the Court approves the plan, the debtor will be under the Court's protection while repaying such debts.

Created in 1978, the Bankruptcy Code contains the rules that provide for bankruptcy relief for businesses or individuals in financial difficulty. There are two options for bankruptcy relief: liquidation (Chapter 7) and reorganization (Chapters 11, 12 and 13). These options are best discussed with a qualified attorney. The Bankruptcy Code is available at law libraries. You may also access the Code via a link from our web site.