Petition Package – This is a compilation of all forms required to start a particular chapter bankruptcy case.

Petition – The document called a "Petition" is the official request to open a bankruptcy case, and the Petition contains basic information about a debtor's contact information, attorney, chapter number, and signature.

Other Forms – While a Petition opens a bankruptcy case, this is only the beginning of the process. Approximately thirty (30) more documents are required so that the court and trustee knows how to properly treat a debtor and the debtor's financial situation:

These documents have various titles including: "Schedules" "Exhibits" and then a combination of other forms titled "Statements," "Declarations," "Summary," "Disclosure," "Verification," "Notice," "Debtor's Certification," "Plan" (chapter 13 only), and "Venue Disclosure" (chapter 11 only). It requires time and organization to fill out all of the forms and be educated on the bankruptcy process, so please budget enough time to gather the information and complete the petition package documents before you need to file a bankruptcy case.