CHAPTER 7 VOLUNTARY PETITION PACKET
United States Bankruptcy Court – District of Delaware
[// GUIDANCE: This master template is designed to mirror all mandatory Official Forms (101 through 107, 121, 122A-1/2, and the Delaware Local Forms) while giving counsel a single, court-ready document for internal drafting, client data-gathering, and quality-control review. When converting to the final filing set, migrate the data into the Official PDF versions and ECF events exactly as required by FRBP 1007, the Court’s CM/ECF Procedures, and Del. Bankr. L.R. 1007-1. Bracketed items are client-specific inputs.]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Document Header & Caption
- Definitions
- Voluntary Petition (Official Form 101)
- Exhibits to Petition
4.1. Certificate of Credit Counseling
4.2. Statement About Your Social Security Numbers (Official Form 121)
4.3. Creditor Mailing Matrix & Verification (Del. LF 1007-2) - Schedules A/B – J Summary (Official Forms 106A/B – 106J-2)
5.1. Schedule A/B – Property
5.2. Schedule C – Claim of Exemptions (Delaware Scheme)
5.3. Schedule D – Secured Claims
5.4. Schedule E/F – Unsecured Claims
5.5. Schedule G – Executory Contracts & Unexpired Leases
5.6. Schedule H – Co-Debtors
5.7. Schedule I – Income
5.8. Schedule J – Expenses
5.9. Declaration Concerning Schedules (Official Form 106Dec) - Statement of Financial Affairs (Official Form 107)
- Chapter 7 Statement of Current Monthly Income & Means Test (Official Forms 122A-1 & 122A-2)
- Debtor’s Statement of Intention (Official Form 108)
- Local Rule Certifications & Disclosures
- Execution Block
- Attorney Certification & Signature
- Notary Acknowledgment (if required for local rule compliance)
1. DOCUMENT HEADER & CAPTION
IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
In re: Chapter 7
Case No. [-_ ()]
[LEGAL NAME OF DEBTOR 1], (Joint Administration Requested ☐ Yes ☐ No)
[Secondary Line for Joint Debtor, if any],
Debtor(s).
Effective Petition Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Jurisdiction: Federal Bankruptcy Code, Title 11, with venue proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1408.
2. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Petition Packet:
“Automatic Stay” means the injunction arising upon the filing of this Petition under 11 U.S.C. § 362.
“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code.
“Court” means the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
“Debtor” or “Debtors” means the individual(s) identified in the caption.
“Petition Date” means the date on which this Voluntary Petition is filed with the Court.
“Trustee” means the Chapter 7 panel trustee appointed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 701.
[// GUIDANCE: Keep the definitions section short—add only if an internal team relies on it for data integrity. The final filed forms do not require this section.]
3. VOLUNTARY PETITION – OFFICIAL FORM 101
[Populate each field exactly as appears on Official Form 101; key placeholders are provided for convenience.]
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Personal Information
a. Full Legal Name of Debtor 1: [_]
b. Prior Names (last 8 years): [_]
c. SSN / ITIN (last 4 digits): [____]
d. Address: [Street, City, State, ZIP, County]
e. Debtor 2 identical data points, if joint case. -
Chapter Selection: ☑ Chapter 7 (Liquidation).
-
Nature of Debts: ☐ Consumer ☐ Business ☐ Both.
-
Statistical/Administrative Information
• Estimated Assets: ☐ $0–$50k ☐ $50k–$100k ☐ …
• Estimated Liabilities: [range].
• Number of Creditors: [range]. -
Certification of Credit Counseling (11 U.S.C. § 109(h)):
☑ Certificate attached – received on [MM/DD/YYYY] within 180 days. -
Bankruptcy Case of Any Affiliate, Partner, or Business Associate Pending?
☐ No ☐ Yes – Case No. [______] -
Venue Statement – Debtor has had domicile, residence, principal place of business, or principal assets in this District for 180 days immediately preceding Petition Date.
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Signature Blocks
Debtor(s) sign under penalty of perjury.
Attorney signs and certifies accuracy under FRBP 9011.
[// GUIDANCE: When preparing ECF upload, split signature pages so that electronic / scanned ink signatures comply with L.R. 5005-4.]
4. EXHIBITS TO PETITION
4.1. Certificate of Credit Counseling – attach PDF.
4.2. Statement About Your Social Security Numbers (Official Form 121).
4.3. Creditor Mailing Matrix & Verification (Del. L.F. 1007-2).
[// GUIDANCE: Use single-column format with no punctuation; verify alphabetization.]
5. SCHEDULES – OFFICIAL FORMS 106 SERIES
[Each schedule must be signed and dated by Debtor(s). Deadlines: FRBP 1007(c) – 14 days from Petition Date.]
5.1. Schedule A/B – Property
• Real Property: address, value, lien data.
• Personal Property: bank accts, vehicles, household goods, etc.
5.2. Schedule C – Claim of Exemptions (Delaware Opt-Out)
a. Homestead: up to $125,000 equity – 10 Del. C. § 4914.
b. Personal Property & Tools: see 10 Del. C. § 4915.
c. Federal non-bankruptcy exemptions also available (11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)).
[// GUIDANCE: Confirm residency >730 days for Delaware scheme; otherwise apply 180-day look-back.]
5.3. Schedule D – Secured Claims
5.4. Schedule E/F – Priority & Non-priority Unsecured Claims
5.5. Schedule G – Executory Contracts & Unexpired Leases
5.6. Schedule H – Co-Debtors
5.7. Schedule I – Current Income
5.8. Schedule J – Current Expenses
5.9. Declaration Concerning Schedules (Official Form 106Dec)
6. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS – OFFICIAL FORM 107
Twenty-eight (28) questions covering income history, payments to insiders, lawsuits, garnishments, property transfers, business interests, environmental issues, etc. Answer “None” where applicable.
[// GUIDANCE: SOFA responses drive discharge objections (11 U.S.C. § 727) and trustee § 548 avoidance actions—validate thoroughly.]
7. CHAPTER 7 MEANS TEST – OFFICIAL FORMS 122A-1 & 122A-2
Step 1: Current Monthly Income (CMI) vs. Delaware median.
Step 2: Allowable deductions; determine Presumption of Abuse.
[PLACEHOLDER] Household Size [__]; Median Income Threshold [$____].
☐ Presumption does not arise.
☐ Presumption arises – add detailed explanation Part 3.
8. DEBTOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENTION – OFFICIAL FORM 108
Identify collateral to be:
☐ Surrendered ☐ Redeemed ☐ Reaffirmed (11 U.S.C. § 524(c))
Deadline: within 30 days of Petition Date or on/before § 341 Meeting, whichever is earlier.
9. LOCAL RULE CERTIFICATIONS & DISCLOSURES
9.1. Payment Advices Certification – FRBP 4002(b)(2).
9.2. Domestic Support Obligation (DSO) Certification – if applicable.
9.3. Delaware Local Rule 1007-1(e) Affidavit of Compliance re document production to Trustee.
10. EXECUTION BLOCK
Debtor 1: ____ Date: _/_/20_
Debtor 2: ___ Date: ____/____/20
Address: [_______]
Telephone: [_-_-_] Email: [___]
11. ATTORNEY CERTIFICATION & SIGNATURE
I, [Attorney Name], Bar No. [DE Bar #____], certify that:
- I have no knowledge that the information in the foregoing documents is incorrect.
- I have informed the Debtor of the remedies and consequences under 11 U.S.C. §§ 521, 707.
- I have provided the Debtor with the notice required by 11 U.S.C. § 527(b).
Signature: ____ Date: _/_/20__
Law Firm: [__] Address: [__] Phone: [____]
12. NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT (Only if local practice or specific exhibit requires)
State of __
County of __
On this ___ day of _, 20_, before me, the undersigned Notary Public, personally appeared ________, proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are signed on this instrument, and acknowledged executing the same.
Notary Public: ___
My Commission Expires: _______
ADDITIONAL DRAFTING NOTES
[// GUIDANCE:
1. Filing Fee: $338 payable to “Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.” Consider filing Application to Pay Filing Fee in Installments (Official Form 103A) for qualifying debtors.
2. Automatic Stay Exceptions: 11 U.S.C. § 362(b) limits in eviction, domestic support, and repeat-filing scenarios—advise client accordingly.
3. Post-petition Duties: Debtor must appear at § 341 Meeting (approximately 30-45 days after filing), cooperate with Trustee, and submit tax returns upon request (11 U.S.C. § 521(e)(2)).
4. Discharge & Reaffirmation: Draft any reaffirmation agreements on Official Form 2400A/B ALT; file within 60 days of § 341 Meeting.
5. Risk Management: Thoroughly vet pre-petition transfers (§§ 548, 549) and preference exposure (§ 547) to avoid later claw-back litigation.]
CORE STATUTORY REFERENCES (select, foundational)
• 11 U.S.C. § 362 – Automatic Stay
• 11 U.S.C. § 522 – Exemptions
• 11 U.S.C. § 541 – Property of the Estate
• 11 U.S.C. § 707(b) – Dismissal for Abuse (Means Test)
• 11 U.S.C. § 727 – Discharge
[All citations in Bluebook format; only foundational provisions included in accordance with Citation Policy.]
END OF TEMPLATE
[// GUIDANCE: Save this master as “DE Ch 7 Petition Packet v1.0”. Lock defined text; keep placeholders editable. Run an internal compliance checklist (credit counseling, paystubs, IDs, tax returns) before filing.]