Wages & Benham
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13; serving western Tennessee debtors for 60+ years; free consultations
Free ConsultationCh.7 flat $1,000–$2,500📍 Memphis
Buried in debt in Memphis? Bankruptcy is a legal reset, not a moral failing, and it is one of the most common filings in the country. Memphis cases go through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee downtown. Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt, credit cards, medical bills, old personal loans, in about three to four months if you pass the means test. Chapter 13 sets up a three-to-five-year repayment plan that can stop a foreclosure or repossession and let you keep a home or car by catching up on what you owe. Tennessee uses its own exemptions rather than the federal set, including a homestead exemption that is more modest than many states, so what you can protect depends heavily on your specific assets and equity. Memphis bankruptcy lawyers typically charge a flat $1,000–$2,500 for a straightforward Chapter 7, plus the $338 court filing fee, and $3,000–$4,000 for a Chapter 13, often paid through the plan. The firms below handle Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and debt relief for Memphis filers.
Updated June 18, 2026
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13; serving western Tennessee debtors for 60+ years; free consultations
Consumer bankruptcy with a strong Chapter 13 repayment-plan practice
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy for Memphis and West Tennessee
Chapter 7 straight bankruptcy and Chapter 13 wage-earner relief
Bankruptcy filing and debt relief for Memphis individuals and families
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The two common consumer filings do different jobs. Chapter 7 is liquidation, but for most Memphis filers nothing actually gets sold, because Tennessee's exemptions usually cover what they own, and it erases most unsecured debt in three to four months. Chapter 13 is a court-supervised repayment plan that lasts three to five years; people choose it to catch up on a mortgage, keep a car, or handle debts Chapter 7 cannot touch. Which one you qualify for turns largely on the means test, which compares your household income to the Tennessee median.
The moment you file, the automatic stay stops collection cold: phone calls, lawsuits, wage garnishments, and most foreclosure and repossession activity have to pause. Tennessee requires filers to use state exemptions rather than the federal ones, and the Tennessee homestead exemption is comparatively modest, which makes the exemption planning a Memphis lawyer does more important here than in some states, especially if you have equity in a home. Before filing you must complete a short credit-counseling course, and a second debtor-education course before your debts are discharged. Cases are administered through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, which sits in Memphis.
Not everything disappears in bankruptcy. Most student loans, recent taxes, child support, and alimony generally survive, while credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans are typically wiped out. On cost, Memphis lawyers commonly charge a flat $1,000–$2,500 for a straightforward Chapter 7 plus the $338 filing fee, and $3,000–$4,000 for a Chapter 13, much of which is often paid through the repayment plan rather than up front. A good lawyer's first job is to tell you honestly whether bankruptcy is even the right tool, or whether negotiating with creditors fits your situation better.