Bankruptcy laws help people who can no longer pay their creditors get a fresh start, by liquidating assets to pay their debts or by creating a repayment plan. Bankruptcy laws also protect troubled businesses and provide for orderly distributions to business creditors through reorganization or liquidation. Most cases are filed under the three main chapters of the Bankruptcy Code – Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13. Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. This means that a bankruptcy case cannot be filed in a state court.

• Clearpoint
  Nationwide counseling and education on budget and credit, housing, and bankruptcy.
• Public Counsel 
  Excellent list of bankruptcy-related resources
• United States Courts: Bankruptcy Forms
  The United States Courts’ website providing forms used in bankruptcy, including forms for individual debtors as well as for small businesses..
• U.S. Department of Justice: U.S. Trustee Program 
  Contains information about the U.S. Trustee Program, a component of the Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees.
• U.S. Bankruptcy Pro Bono Program Attorney Training Manual 
  PDF attorney-training manual for pro bono bankruptcy cases, in the New Jersey