How is a Chapter 11 case commenced?
A voluntary Chapter 11 case is commenced by filing a voluntary petition with the clerk of the bankruptcy court requesting relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. A number of other documents are usually filed with the petition. However, if it is necessary to file the case before the other documents can be prepared; most of the other documents may be filed within 15 days after the petition is filed. The filing fee must usually be paid when the petition is filed, although an individual debtor may pay the filing fee in installments. As a practical matter, however, debtors who are unable to pay the filing fee when a Chapter 11 case is filed seldom succeed under Chapter 11.
