The district at a glance
- Three localities — Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton — under one district
- Consumer filings: 11,519 total — 8,021 Chapter 7 and 3,496 Chapter 13, a 30.3% Chapter 13 share, so this is primarily a Chapter 7 volume district
- Filing fees: $338 for Chapter 7, $313 for Chapter 13
- Chapter 13 plan must conform to the district's Mandatory Form Plan under LBR 3015-1(a)(1) — not Official Form 113
- Local rules as amended effective October 1, 2020, which is the amendment that replaced per-locality mandatory plans with a single district-wide form
- Variations from the mandatory form require a motion for leave, which the rule says will not be granted absent exceptional circumstances
- Special provisions are confined to the form's designated area and may not restate the Code, the Federal Rules, the Local Rules, or the form itself
- Noncompliance may cost counsel: reduction or disallowance of attorney fees, suspension of LBR 2016-1(b)(2)(A), or other sanctions
Official court website: ohsb.uscourts.gov
Flat per-case pricing, S.D. Ohio or anywhere
$300 personal Chapter 7 · $400 business Chapter 7 · $400 Chapter 13 without plan · $500 with the Mandatory Form Plan drafted. In a district where a non-conforming plan can reduce your fee, having the form done right is worth more than the preparation costs. 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 amended Local Bankruptcy Rules effective October 1, 2020 (LBR 3015-1 and its cross-reference to LBR 2016-1(b)(2)(A)); filing counts are from Administrative Office consumer filing data. The per-locality plan regime described in pre-amendment guidance was superseded by that amendment, and the Mandatory Form Plan itself may be amended from time to time, so pull the current form rather than a stored copy. 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 ohsb.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.