MenuThere are basically three sources of compensation for a chapter 7 trustee: (1) $61 out of the $306 filing fee the debtor paid to file the case with the bankruptcy court; (2) compensation for making distributions to creditors; and (3) attorney's fees charged against the bankruptcy estate. In a no-asset chapter 7, where the debtor has claimed all of his or her property as exempt and there are no other recoveries to be had for benefit of creditors, only the first source of compensation is available.
Filing Fee
The bankruptcy filing fee is paid to bankruptcy court at the time the bankruptcy case is opened. The fee varies based on the chapter of bankruptcy filed. There are also filing fees for miscellaneous items such as adding creditors to a bankruptcy case and converting from chapter 13 to chapter 7.
