How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Tennessee

5 Steps To File Chapter 7 in Tennessee

If you're feeling overwhelmed by bills, collection calls, or the stress of making ends meet, you're not alone. Many people turn to bankruptcy when they've tried everything else and still can't get ahead. 

Filing Chapter 7 in Tennessee involves a few steps — gathering your financial documents, completing two short courses, filing your paperwork, and attending a brief meeting with a trustee — and many people do it successfully without a lawyer. This guide walks you through each step so you know exactly what to expect.

Step 1: See If You Qualify

Chapter 7 has income limits, but most people who need it meet them. You'll answer a few questions about your household size and income. If you use Upsolve's free tool, it just takes two minutes to see if you qualify. 

Start here →

If your income is below Tennessee’s median for a household your size, you'll likely pass the means test and qualify to file with Upsolve.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

Before you file, you'll need to pull together a few key documents. One of those is a certificate from a short credit counseling course, which you'll complete online. It takes 1–2 hours and costs $10–$50 (fee waivers available).

See the full document checklist →

Step 3: Complete Your Forms and File 

The forms you'll fill out are federal, so they're the same across the country. You can find them as free fillable PDFs at uscourts.gov. 

If you use Upsolve, your forms are generated for you based on your answers and organized so they’re ready to print and sign.

How filing works with Upsolve →

Tennessee has three districts — Eastern, Middle, and Western — and each one has its own filing rules and local forms requirements. The Tennessee Bankruptcy Districts section below covers courthouse locations and specific instructions for your county.

All three districts accept filings in person or by mail. If you're in the Western District, you have a third option to file online through the court's Electronic Self-Representation (eSR) system.

Filing Fee Information & Fee Waiver Eligibility

There’s a $338 filing fee for Chapter 7. If you can’t afford it, you can ask the court to waive the fee when you file your paperwork.

People whose income falls below 150% of the federal poverty level may be eligible. A bankruptcy judge will review your income and expenses and decide whether to grant the fee waiver.  

If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver, you’ll need to pay the full filing fee or an installment payment (if approved) when you file your forms.

Across all districts, you can pay the filing fee in person or by mail using a money order or cashier’s check made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Exact cash is accepted at certain locations. We’ll cover those details in the Local Forms/Requirements section later.

Step 4: Attend Your 341 Meeting 

About a month after you file, you'll have a short meeting with your bankruptcy trustee on Zoom. It typically takes about five minutes. The trustee will verify your identity and ask a few basic questions about your paperwork.

Upsolve can help you prep for your 341 meeting →

Step 5: Get Your Discharge

After your 341 meeting, you'll need to take one more short course — a debtor education course on budgeting and managing credit. Once that's done and any follow-up is resolved, the court erases your eligible debts. That's your fresh start, usually within 3–4 months of filing.

What debts does Chapter 7 discharge? →

Tennessee Bankruptcy Districts 

The Tennessee Bankruptcy Court is divided into three districts: Eastern, Middle, and Western. 

The court that handles your case is determined by which county you live in, and each district has its own filing rules and requirements. 

⬇️ You can use the table below to see which district you’re in.

Local Forms/Requirements for the Eastern District

In the Eastern District, you can file in person or by mail at the address for your division.

This district has a few local requirements to keep in mind.

First, you'll need to submit a list of your creditors and their mailing addresses (called a creditor matrix) following the court's formatting rules.

You'll also need to fill out the local Statement Regarding Payment Advices form, which confirms whether or not you've attached pay stubs from the last 60 days.

Finally, if you'd like to receive your court notices by email instead of postal mail, you can sign up using the Debtor Electronic Noticing Election form.

Pay Your Filing Fee in the Eastern District

You can pay your filing fee by money order or cashier's check made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court. You can either mail your payment to the courthouse that serves your division or drop it off in person. 

❌ The court doesn’t accept personal checks, credit cards, or cash.

Local Forms/Requirements for the Middle District

No matter which division you're in within the Middle District, all filings and fee payments go to the Nashville office: 

United States Bankruptcy Court 701 Broadway, Room 170 Nashville, TN 37203

📌 The Middle District also has unstaffed satellite offices in Columbia and Cookeville. These locations are used for in-person hearings only — you can't file documents or pay fees there.

This district has specific formatting requirements for your creditor matrix, which is a mailing list of everyone you owe money to. You can find the full list of requirements on page 2 of the Local Rules of Court.

If you'd like the court to send you notices by email, you can fill out the Debtor’s Electronic Noticing Request.

Pay Your Filing Fee in the Middle District

You can pay your filing fee by money order or cashier's check made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court — either in person or by mail to the Nashville courthouse. If you're paying in person, you can also pay with exact cash.

❌ The court doesn’t accept personal checks or credit cards.

Local Forms/Requirements for the Western District

In the Western District, you can file in person, by mail, or online using eSR. Use the addresses below for in-person visits and mail submissions. 

The Western District has a couple of local requirements to keep in mind.

You'll need to submit a creditor matrix, which is a list of your creditors and their mailing addresses. The court has specific formatting rules that can be found on page 3 of the Local Rules document. The court also provides an example of what the matrix should look like.

If you'd like to receive your court notices by email instead of postal mail, you can sign up using the Debtor Electronic Noticing Election form.

If you filed online using eSR, there's one additional step. You'll need to submit your Declaration form and Statement of Social Security Number, along with your filing fee and any other documents listed in your confirmation email. You can drop these off in person or send them by mail. 

Pay Your Filing Fee in the Western District

You can pay your filing fee by money order or cashier's check made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court — either in person or by mail. If you're paying in person at the Memphis division, you can also pay with exact cash. The Jackson division doesn't accept cash. 

❌ Personal checks and credit cards aren't accepted at either location.

Free Legal Aid in Tennessee

If your case is more complex — or you'd just feel better having an attorney review it — free and low-cost legal help is available across Tennessee.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (865) 637-0484 100 West Martin Luther King Blvd. Chattanooga, TN 37402

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (615) 780-7118 1321 Murfreesboro Pike, Suite 400 Nashville, TN 37217

West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. (731) 423-0616 210 West Main Street, P.O. Box 2066 Jackson, TN 38302

West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. (731) 423-0616 210 West Main Street, P.O. Box 2066 Jackson, TN 38302

Common Questions About Filing Bankruptcy in Tennessee