At a recent West Michigan Bankruptcy Seminar the Judges indicated that they would consider a request to waive the $335 dollar filing fee for persons whose income is less than 150% of the poverty level and if the Attorney charges less than a full fee. Presently 150% of the poverty level for a household of one is $17,770, for a family of four it is $36,375. The poverty level is $11,770 for a single person and $24,450 for a household of four. Many attorneys offer lower fees for persons on disability or those below the poverty level, even though they don’t advertise it. So ask when you make your appointment. The Court has made it clear that they will not waive the filing fee if you can afford to pay a full attorneys fee. If the court does not waive the filing fee, you can always pay the filing fee in four equal installments of $83.47 after you file.
