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Wooden judge’s gavel beside a calculator on bankruptcy paperwork for an individual filing, illustrating chapter 13 plan payment estimation and consumer bankruptcy costs.

Chapter 13 Plan Payment Calculator

The free chapter 13 plan payment calculator below will help you estimate both the minimum monthly plan payment needed for a feasible chapter 13 plan, and the payment you may actually need based on your budget input. This tool is free to use and does not require you to input any contact information.

Portrait of attorney Casey Yontz, bankruptcy lawyer
Written by Casey Yontz, JD, Bankruptcy Legal Content Editor
Legally reviewed by Benjamin Wright, Bankruptcy Attorney
Last reviewed on
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I created this free chapter 13 plan payment calculator based on my over 18 years of practicing bankruptcy law and helping clients navigate chapter 13. This tool takes your household budget into account so it can estimate both the minimum payment needed for a feasible plan and the payment you may actually need based on your financial information.

Usually you would have to subscribe to expensive professional bankruptcy software to get both of these figures. This is not a lead capture form, so you won't be asked to give us your contact info. Feel free to use it as many times as you like. If needed, we've made it possible for you to create a PDF of your results so you can save them for your records, print them, or take them to a consultation with a local bankruptcy attorney.

How to Use the Chapter 13 Plan Payment Calculator

You should use this tool as an educational resource to get an idea of what your chapter 13 repayment plan might look like. Do not rely on it as legal advice. I made this form easy to use: just enter your financial information in the fields below and hit continue.

At the end, the calculator provides the following educational estimates based on your input:

  • State median income comparison results
  • Estimated plan length (in months)
  • Required monthly payment for a feasible plan (estimated minimum)
  • Likely monthly payment based on your full budget input
  • Budget feasibility (can you file a successful chapter 13 plan based on your income and expenses?)
  • Estimated net amount required for debts, mortgage/auto arrears, and court fees
  • Estimated unpaid attorney fees included
  • Your calculated disposable income
  • What you would pay in a 60-month plan vs. a 36-month plan

Chapter 13 Plan Payment Calculator

Chapter 13 plan payments depend on many factors, including local court and trustee practices. This tool gives an educational estimate only, not legal advice.

Median-income reference date: April 1, 2026.

Chapter 13 Plan Payment Calculator logo
Step 1 of 10: State and household
For educational use only. This estimate cannot account for all jurisdiction-specific rules under 11 U.S.C. chapter 13.

Calculator Budget Questions

If you have questions about what expenses you can count in your budget, that's completely understandable. A great place to get clarification is the official instructions for Schedule J, which is the official bankruptcy form that chapter 13 debtors use to input their monthly budget information. This form provides detailed instructions on what types of household expenses are legally allowed.

Check Your Local Chapter 13 Trustee Website for Expense Guidelines

Another exceptional resource for acceptable expense amounts is your local chapter 13 trustee's website. It is very common for standing trustees to publish specific local expense guidelines. The expenses they publish reflect what they generally consider reasonable and necessary for completing Schedule J. If your local trustee doesn't have guidelines published online, you can look at guidelines from a chapter 13 trustee within the same state for a close baseline.

This calculator provides an educational estimate only. It is not legal advice. Actual chapter 13 plan payments depend on your full financial picture, local court practice, trustee requirements, claims filed, and other case-specific factors.