The new bankruptcy laws have increased the cost to file bankruptcy due to the additional work attorneys must do. Here is a breakdown of the cost of filing bankruptcy today.Pre-Bankruptcy Credit Counseling - Before you file bankruptcy at all, every filer must complete a credit counseling course within 180 days before filing bankruptcy. The fee can vary, but the average cost is about $40.Bankruptcy Petition Preparation - You can represent yourself in bankruptcy court, hire an attorney or use a non-attorney bankruptcy petition preparer (NABPP). Filing by yourself means you have to get the forms, free bankruptcy forms can be found online and there is also bankruptcy software that is available. An attorney charges an average of $1500 for a chapter 7 bankruptcy and $3500 for a chapter 13 bankruptcy due to the extensive paperwork and background checks that are needed to complete the bankruptcy petition. You can also have an NABPP prepare your petition if one is available. The average cost of an NABPP is $150 as it is typically set by each state.Bankruptcy Petition Filing Costs - Once your petition is prepared, there are court filing fees that must be submitted when you file your forms. The filing costs for bankruptcy petitions are $299 for a Ch 7 and $274 for a Ch 13.Personal Financial Management Course - Once our petition is filed you have another course to take. Once your forms are accepted you will get a notice in the mail that you need to complete the personal financial management course. Exactly like the credit counseling course, the cost will vary depending on the location of the course but the average cost is around $30.Total Cost To File Bankruptcy - If you complete everything yourself you can file bankruptcy for as low as $369, and if you use a bankruptcy lawyer, it can cost you $3869 or more to file bankruptcy.