Basic Court Costs

• As of 2010, it cost $274 in court fees to petition for a Chapter 13 debt repayment plan, notes the United States Bankruptcy Court.
  
  

Potential Legal Fees

• Individuals do not need to hire a lawyer to file Chapter 13, notes the United States Bankruptcy Court. However, when an attorney handles a case, he receives payment for his time unless a pro bono legal aid clinic participates, notes the book “How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.” The fees for bankruptcy legal help vary depending upon the debtor’s state of residence, potential complexity of the Chapter 13 case and the attorney’s own business policies.
  
  

Tax Refund Considerations

• A bankruptcy trustee can require an individual to apply part or all of his tax refunds toward creditor repayment while on a Chapter 13 plan, warns the book “How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.”