The district at a glance
- Chief Judge Bess M. Parrish Creswell, sitting with Judges Christopher L. Hawkins and Brian J. Suckman
- Consumer filings: 6,324 total — 1,027 Chapter 7 and 5,296 Chapter 13, an 83.7% Chapter 13 share, the highest of any district we have documented
- Filing fees: $338 for Chapter 7, $313 for Chapter 13, and Chapter 13 filing fees must be paid through the plan
- Chapter 13 plan is mandatory Local Form 6 — not Official Form 113
- Individual modifications to the form make the plan nonconforming, and a nonconforming plan will not be confirmed
- Local rules dated April 1, 2024, with a published summary of changes and negative notice lists updated separately
- Amended or modified plans must bold or highlight every changed provision in the body of the form
- Rule 3015-3 sets out eleven grounds on which the court may dismiss at a confirmation hearing
Official court website: almb.uscourts.gov
Flat per-case pricing, M.D. Ala. or anywhere
$400 Chapter 13 without plan · $500 with Local Form 6 drafted · $300 personal Chapter 7 · $400 business Chapter 7. In a district that is 84% Chapter 13, the $500 plan rate is the number that matters, and it buys a form drafted to conform rather than one that has to survive a conformity objection. No retainer, no minimum, no long-term contract — and if the trustee kicks something back because we got it wrong, we fix it at no charge.
District details verified August 2026 against the court's Local Rules dated April 1, 2024 (Rules 3015-1, 3015-2 and 3015-3, with cross-reference to Local Rule 2003-1) and the court's published judges; filing counts are from Administrative Office consumer filing data. Chapter 13 trustee assignments are confirmed per case rather than listed here. Median-income figures are the U.S. Trustee table for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026 and are revised periodically. Always confirm against current sources at almb.uscourts.gov and justice.gov/ust. Services are provided exclusively to licensed attorneys and law firms. We are not a bankruptcy petition preparer and do not provide legal advice or services to the public.