If you live in Prince George’s or Montgomery County, your case goes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s Greenbelt Division at 6500 Cherrywood Lane. The Phillips Law Offices, LLC is at 6301 Ivy Lane in Greenbelt, on the same street as the U.S. Trustee’s Greenbelt office, and has handled Maryland bankruptcy filings for more than 20 years. Below is the full checklist, which court takes your case, and what changes between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

What documents does Maryland bankruptcy court require?

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland requires the same federal forms every bankruptcy court uses, plus proof that you completed credit counseling and records of your recent income. Missing a form within the deadline can get your case dismissed, which puts creditors right back to collecting.

Maryland bankruptcy document deadlines, start to finish

1. 180 days before filingEarliest date your credit counseling course can count.
2. 6 months before filingStart of the income period the means test averages.
3. 60 days before filingFirst pay stub you need to turn in.
4. Filing dayPetition, Social Security number statement, creditor mailing list, credit counseling certificate, and filing fee.
5. Within 14 days of filingSchedules, Statement of Financial Affairs, means test, pay stubs, and the Chapter 13 plan if you’re in Chapter 13.
6. 7 days before the 341 meetingLatest federal tax return to the trustee.
7. 341 meetingPhoto ID and proof of your Social Security number, over Zoom.
8. Within 60 days after the 341 meeting date (Chapter 7)Debtor education certificate, filed before the court grants your discharge.

Records to pull before you fill out a single form

The forms above are built from your own paperwork. Gather these first:

• Federal and Maryland tax returns for the last two years
• Pay stubs, benefit statements, or business income records for the last six months (the means test looks back six full months)
• Bank, retirement, and investment account statements
• Your mortgage statement or lease, plus car titles and loan statements
• A current credit report and every collection letter you’ve received
• Any lawsuit papers, judgments, or wage garnishment orders (filing stops a garnishment right away; see how to stop wage garnishment in Maryland)
• IRS or Comptroller notices if you owe back taxes (see what to do if you owe the IRS and can’t pay)
• A list of anything you sold, transferred, or paid to family members in the last two years

Where do Greenbelt-area residents file for bankruptcy?

If you live in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, or seven other western and southern Maryland counties, you file with the Greenbelt Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court at 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 300, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Everyone else in Maryland files in Baltimore. State circuit and district courts cannot accept a bankruptcy case, because federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

The court also holds hearings in Salisbury, but that location does not accept new filings.

The Phillips Law Offices files Greenbelt Division cases for clients across Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, including Greenbelt, Beltsville, College Park, Bowie, Upper Marlboro, and Silver Spring.

How long do you have to live in Maryland to file there?

You can file in Maryland if you lived here, ran your business here, or kept most of your assets here for the 180 days before filing. If you moved in during that window, you file wherever you spent the larger share of those 180 days.

This comes up a lot in Greenbelt because so many people cross the D.C. line. Say you moved from Northeast D.C. to Hyattsville four months ago. You’ve spent about 120 of the last 180 days in Maryland, so Greenbelt is the right court. If you moved two months ago, D.C. probably is.

A second clock decides which property exemptions protect your home, car, and savings. You need to have lived in Maryland for 730 days (two years) before filing to use Maryland’s exemptions. Recent movers may have to use the exemptions of the state they left, which can change what you keep. Bring your old lease or utility bills so your attorney can pin down both dates.

How does the paperwork differ for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?

Both chapters use the same petition, schedules, and Statement of Financial Affairs. Chapter 13 adds a repayment plan and a longer means test that calculates your disposable income for the next three to five years.

The District of Maryland runs a free online tool called Electronic Self Representation (eSR) that walks individuals through a Chapter 7 petition. The court itself warns against using eSR to stop a foreclosure or repossession, because submitting the eSR package does not count as filing your case. Nothing stops the sale until the court dockets your signed declaration.

You can legally file Chapter 13 without a lawyer, but eSR won’t build the plan for you, and if the court won’t confirm your plan, the case can be dismissed. If you’re filing to save your home from foreclosure or to catch up on a car loan, talk to an attorney first. For a side-by-side look at the tradeoffs, read hiring a Chapter 7 attorney vs. filing on your own.

What documents do you need after you file?

After filing, you owe the trustee your tax return, you show ID at the 341 meeting, and you finish a second course before the court grants your discharge.

1. Tax return to the trustee. Send a copy of your most recent federal return at least 7 days before the meeting of creditors. Miss it and the trustee can ask the court to dismiss your case.
2. Photo ID and proof of your Social Security number at the 341 meeting. Greenbelt Division meetings run by Zoom through the U.S. Trustee’s office at 6305 Ivy Lane. A driver’s license plus your Social Security card or a W-2 covers it.
3. Debtor education certificate. A second course, separate from credit counseling, filed before discharge. Chapter 7 filers have 60 days after the first date set for the 341 meeting.

The trustee can also ask for bank statements or proof of the income on Schedule I, so keep copies of everything you hand your attorney. Our post on hiring a local bankruptcy attorney vs. a national firm covers what Greenbelt trustees ask at the 341 meeting.

Which paperwork mistakes get Maryland cases dismissed?

These errors can get a case dismissed, delay a discharge, or put a debt at risk of surviving it:

• Filing before you finish credit counseling, or with a certificate older than 180 days
• Leaving a debt off the schedules, which means that creditor never gets notice of your case
• Not listing payments to relatives or property you transferred in the last two years
• Sending pay stubs that don’t cover the full 60 days before filing
• Missing the 14-day deadline for schedules or the Chapter 13 plan
• Claiming federal exemptions, which Maryland residents generally can’t use

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need to file bankruptcy in Maryland?

You need the voluntary petition, Schedules A/B through J, the Statement of Financial Affairs, a means test form, a Social Security number statement, a credit counseling certificate from the last 180 days, pay stubs from the last 60 days, a creditor mailing list, and the filing fee. Your latest federal tax return goes to the trustee before the 341 meeting.

Which bankruptcy court handles cases from Prince George’s County?

Prince George’s County cases go to the Greenbelt Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, at 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Suite 300, Greenbelt. The Greenbelt Division also covers Montgomery, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties.

How long do I have to live in Maryland to file bankruptcy here?

You can file in Maryland if you lived, did business, or kept most of your assets here for the 180 days before filing, or for longer than anywhere else during that period. Using Maryland’s property exemptions takes longer: you generally need 730 days of Maryland residency first.

Can I file Chapter 13 in Maryland without a lawyer?

Yes, filing Chapter 13 without a lawyer is legal in Maryland. The court’s free eSR tool only covers Chapter 7, though, so you would draft the repayment plan yourself. The plan needs the trustee’s and the court’s approval, so most Chapter 13 filers hire an attorney.

How much does it cost to file bankruptcy in Maryland?

The court filing fee is $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13, the same in every federal district. Chapter 7 filers with low income can apply to pay in installments or have the fee waived. Credit counseling and debtor education courses add a small fee each. Attorney fees vary by case.