Chicago Bankruptcy Lawyer
Are you overwhelmed by debt? Facing wage garnishment, creditor calls, or the threat of foreclosure? A Cook County bankruptcy attorney can help you stop the bleeding — legally and immediately. At Leeders Law, we have helped thousands of Cook County residents wipe out debt and reclaim their financial freedom through Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Call us today for a free consultation: (312) 346-7400. We serve clients throughout Cook County including Chicago, Skokie, Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero, Harvey, and all surrounding communities.
Cook County is home to the Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court — one of the busiest bankruptcy courts in the country. Filing bankruptcy in Cook County gives you access to experienced local trustees, well-established local rules, and attorneys who know the system inside and out.
Bankruptcy is a federal legal process that offers consumers a powerful tool to:
Chapter 7 bankruptcy — also called a “liquidation” bankruptcy — is the fastest and most common type of consumer bankruptcy. Most Cook County residents who file Chapter 7 keep all of their property and walk away from qualifying debts in as little as 3 to 6 months.
To qualify for Chapter 7 in Cook County, you must pass the Illinois Means Test, which compares your income to the Illinois median income. As of 2025, the Illinois median income for a household of one is approximately $64,000 per year. Our attorneys will analyze your income and expenses to determine if Chapter 7 is right for you — at no charge.
What Chapter 7 Can Eliminate:
Chapter 13 bankruptcy — also called a “reorganization” or “wage earner’s plan” — allows you to repay a portion of your debt over 3 to 5 years while keeping your home, car, and other assets. Chapter 13 is ideal for Cook County residents who earn too much to qualify for Chapter 7, are behind on their mortgage, or have assets they want to protect.
Benefits of Chapter 13 in Cook County:
The moment you file bankruptcy in Cook County, a powerful legal protection called the “automatic stay” goes into effect. The automatic stay immediately stops:
This protection is immediate — it kicks in the day you file, not weeks later. If a creditor violates the automatic stay, they can be held in contempt of court.
We meet with clients at multiple locations throughout Cook County and the surrounding suburbs. We also offer free phone and video consultations so you never have to miss work or arrange childcare just to get legal help.
Ready to get started? Call (312) 346-7400 or fill out our free bankruptcy evaluation form. We’re here to help.
We at Leeders Law are friendly, experienced attorneys who provide an array of legal services throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Our attorneys are committed to provide aggressive representation for a reasonable fee.
Leeders Law represents individuals and small business owners alike. We have helped clients with bankruptcy filings, personal injury cases, divorce and landlord tenant actions. We have helped clients with cases very similar to yours.
Hiring an attorney and navigating your way through the legal process can be a daunting task. The attorneys of Leeders Law are committed to help guide you through your legal experience while striving to exceed your expectations. Our clients’ needs are our number one priority. We have multiple offices and flexible hours to meet your schedule.
We strive to provide quality legal services with that one on one personal service you deserve.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases is the most common chapter filed by consumers in debt.
Most...
Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a debt consolidation and repayment plan to get out of debt.
It is an...
We handle all types of personal injury cases, big or small. No fees unless you win.
The...
Leeders Law can handle simple divorces, or divorce cases with complex marital estates.
We are...
What sets Leeders Law Bankruptcy apart from all of the other at lawyers?
Attorney Terry Leeders has been practicing bankruptcy for over 20 years. He has filed cases for thousands of consumers and small businesses. Terry stays up to date with current case law and practice trends through continuing legal education programs. He has discharged millions of dollars of debt in both simple and complex cases for his clients.
Terry knows the ins and outs of the...
Leeders Law charges an affordable fee for it’s bankruptcy cases. We always offer free consultations for our cases and will provide you with a free quote for our attorneys fees to file and manage your bankruptcy case. We offer competitive fees for our services. We offer extremely flexible, and customizable payment plans based on your situation. We will not turn you away because of your ability to pay.
We offer personal bankruptcy service, utilizing our state of the art client portal software. The attorney you hire will be the attorney on the phone with you, preparing your bankruptcy petition and documents, holding your hand at the bankruptcy hearing, attending Bankruptcy Court motions for you, and helping you get a fresh start after you get your bankruptcy discharge in your case.
Enter your contact information and one of our skilled attorneys will contact you to review your situation and assess a possible case for you. We will discuss the pros and cons of filing bankruptcy. We can also schedule you a free consultation to meet with an experienced bankruptcy attorney to get you started. Phone, Zoom and in-person bankruptcy consultations are available to fit your schedule.
Leeders Law is ready to assist you with your bankruptcy case. Contact us now to learn your rights. We will stop creditor harassment and put you in the drivers seat to get you back on your feet with a fresh start. Don’t wait. The time for financial freedom is now.
Get a Free ConsultationWe appreciate feedback from our clients. It helps us serve you better and it helps spread the word on the benefits of hiring Leeders Law to handle your bankruptcy case.
Terry Leeders guided us and gave us excellent professional service. We came away with a clear and decisive understanding and knowledge of our concerns and filings. We were given all information so we could make the best decision for our future. Had many questions and calls and he graciously returned and answered our calls. Will recommend to anyone needing good accountable representation…… Mary B.
Our Chicago bankruptcy team will advise you through the bankruptcy process. We offer one on one personal bankruptcy services and will remove the stress from the bankruptcy proceedings.
Terrance S. Leeders, attorney, owner
Terry Leeders lives in Chicago with his wife and two children. He graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Terry enjoys coaching his children’s T-Ball team and volunteering in his community. Terry is an avid Chicago Cubs fan.
Terry started his legal career in 1998, where he focused his practice on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy cases. He has met with and counseled thousands of clients about their financial needs. Terry realized that there was more he could offer each client in a small firm environment. Terry wanted to improve his client’s experience so he opened up the law firm of Leeders Law in which where he provides his clients that one on one personal service they deserve.
Education:
Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan, 1998 Juris Doctorate Degree
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 1993 Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Psychology
Bar Admissions:
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 2000
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois 2000
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 1999
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1998
State of Illinois Supreme Court, 1998
Have questions about filing bankruptcy in Cook County? Here are answers to the questions we hear most often. If you don’t see your question here, call us at (312) 346-7400 for a free consultation.
Bankruptcy is a federal legal process that allows individuals and businesses to eliminate or restructure their debts under the protection of the court. In Cook County, bankruptcy cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, located in Chicago. Once you file, an automatic stay immediately stops all collection activity against you. Depending on the chapter you file, your debts may be discharged (eliminated) or reorganized into a payment plan.
No. The vast majority of Cook County residents who file Chapter 7 bankruptcy lose nothing. Illinois bankruptcy exemptions protect your home equity (up to $50,000 per person), your vehicle (up to $3,600), retirement accounts, household goods, and much more. In Chapter 13, you keep all of your assets in exchange for repaying a portion of your debts over time. Our attorneys will review your assets during your free consultation and tell you exactly what is and isn’t protected.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains on your credit report for 10 years from the filing date. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy remains for 7 years. However, many of our clients begin rebuilding their credit within 12 to 24 months of their discharge. Bankruptcy removes the underlying debts from your credit report, which often improves your credit score faster than you might expect.
Yes, but there are time limits between filings. If you previously received a Chapter 7 discharge, you must wait 8 years before filing Chapter 7 again, or 4 years before filing Chapter 13.
Certain debts survive bankruptcy and cannot be eliminated. These include:
• Child support and alimony
• Most student loans (unless you can prove undue hardship)
• Recent income tax debt (generally less than 3 years old)
• Criminal fines and restitution
• Debts from fraud or intentional wrongdoing
• Most recent traffic tickets and government fines
To qualify for Chapter 7 in Illinois, you must pass the Illinois Means Test. This test compares your average monthly income over the past 6 months to the Illinois median income for your household size. If your income is below the median, you automatically qualify. If your income is above the median, we analyze your allowable expenses to determine if you still qualify. Many people who initially think they earn too much actually do qualify once expenses are factored in. Call us for a free means test analysis.
A typical Chapter 7 case in Cook County takes between 3 and 6 months from filing to discharge. The process involves filing your petition, attending a brief meeting of creditors (called a 341 meeting) approximately 30 days after filing, and then waiting for the discharge order. Most clients attend only one short hearing, usually on Zoom video.
You will attend one brief meeting called the 341 Meeting of Creditors, held at the federal bankruptcy court or via phone/video. This is not a courtroom hearing — it is a short meeting with the bankruptcy trustee, typically lasting 5 to 10 minutes. Creditors rarely attend. Your attorney will prepare you and attend with you. In most Cook County Chapter 7 cases, no actual court appearances are required. These are currently done on Zoom video chat.
If you are current on your car payments and want to keep your vehicle, you can typically do so by reaffirming the loan. If you are behind on payments, Chapter 7 may only temporarily delay repossession. If you own your car outright, Illinois exemptions protect up to $3,600 in vehicle equity. If your car is worth more than $3,600, we can discuss strategies to protect it.
Filing Chapter 13 immediately stops a foreclosure through the automatic stay. Your Chapter 13 repayment plan then allows you to catch up on your missed mortgage payments over 3 to 5 years, while continuing to make your regular monthly mortgage payments going forward. As long as you make your plan payments and stay current on your mortgage, you can keep your home. Chapter 13 has saved thousands of Cook County homes from foreclosure. This can vary if you have had one or two recently dismissed chapter 13 cases.
Your Chapter 13 payment is based on your disposable income — what’s left after subtracting your allowable living expenses from your monthly income. Every plan is different. Some clients pay as little as $200 per month; others pay more. The total amount paid through your plan depends on your income, expenses, assets, and the types of debts you owe. We will calculate your estimated plan payment during your free consultation.
If your financial situation changes during your Chapter 13 case, your plan can often be modified to reduce your payment. If you lose your job or face a major unexpected expense, contact your attorney immediately. In some cases, a Chapter 13 can be converted to a Chapter 7 if you no longer qualify for or need a repayment plan.
The court filing fee for Chapter 7 is $338 and for Chapter 13 is $313. Attorney fees vary depending on the complexity of your case. At Leeders Law, we offer flat fee pricing and flexible payment plans so that cost is never a barrier to getting the help you need. We will give you a clear, all-in price during your free consultation — no hidden fees.
Yes, in most cases. You can keep your bank account when you file bankruptcy. However, if you owe money to the bank where you have your account (such as an overdraft or a personal loan), the bank may have the right to offset your account balance against what you owe them. We recommend moving your account to a bank where you don’t owe money before filing. We’ll walk you through this during your consultation.
Bankruptcy is a matter of public record, but in practice, most employers never find out. Your employer will only be notified if you file Chapter 13 and elect to have your plan payments deducted directly from your paycheck (a “wage order”). Federal law prohibits employers from firing or discriminating against employees solely because they filed bankruptcy.
Yes — immediately. The automatic stay that goes into effect the moment you file stops all wage garnishments. Your employer will be notified to cease the garnishment, and any wages garnished within 90 days of your filing may be recoverable. This is one of the fastest and most powerful benefits of filing bankruptcy.
Chapter 7 eliminates most unsecured debts in 3 to 6 months and is ideal for people with limited income and few assets. Chapter 13 creates a 3 to 5 year repayment plan and is better for people who are behind on a mortgage, earn too much to qualify for Chapter 7, or have assets they want to protect. The right choice depends on your income, assets, and goals — our attorneys will help you decide during your free consultation.
Still have questions? Call Leeders Law at (312) 346-7400 for a free Cook County bankruptcy consultation.
Free phone, video, and in-person consultations available. Flexible hours. Multiple Cook County locations.
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Here are some general bankruptcy statistics
If you’re facing mounting debts, bankruptcy might be the fresh start you need. Reach out for your Bridgeport Financial Restart.
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