Last Updated September 19, 2026
Short answer
A pending bankruptcy can sometimes change chapters. You may convert Chapter 7 to Chapter 13 if you are eligible. You may convert Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 if you qualify for Chapter 7, including the means test in consumer cases. Conversion is not automatic and not a way around a bad-faith problem. Court fees still apply — see the official fee schedule.
Federal law covers converting from Chapter 7, converting or dismissing a Chapter 13, and what conversion does to the case. The means test still matters if the destination is consumer Chapter 7. See the U.S. Courts fee schedule for current conversion fees.
Chapter 7 to Chapter 13
People often convert to 13 when they need to catch up a mortgage or car, keep property that is not fully protected, or deal with a means-test issue. You still have to propose a Chapter 13 plan you can pay. Conversion is not a substitute for a plan that cannot be funded.
Chapter 13 to Chapter 7
Job loss, illness, or a plan you can no longer pay can lead to conversion to 7. You still have to qualify, including the means test in consumer cases. A Chapter 13 filed to stop a foreclosure will not, after conversion, create a multi-year catch-up. The lender may ask the court to proceed. Extra protection for a co-signer in Chapter 13 usually ends on conversion.
What conversion does not reset
The original filing date usually still matters for many lookbacks and deadlines. A new 341 meeting is common. What happens to wages or a tax refund after conversion is technical — do not assume money “stays yours” without advice. We will quote the current court fee at consult.
Chapter 7
If you land in Chapter 7, the case is about what you can protect, what a trustee may sell, and which debts can be wiped out. Converting does not guarantee a discharge.
Chapter 13
If you land in Chapter 13, you still need a plan you can pay. Converting from 7 does not undo a foreclosure sale that already happened.
What happens next?
- 1
Tell us why the current chapter is not working (income change, property, a sale date).
- 2
We re-run eligibility, including the official means-test tables for a consumer 7.
- 3
If you convert, updated schedules, a fee, and often a new 341 meeting follow.
- 4
Secured creditors still get notice. Stay relief and co-signer issues are reviewed again.
How Brock & Stout can help
We compare staying in the current chapter, converting, or dismissing when the law even allows a new case. We prepare conversion papers. Call or request a free consultation. We cannot promise the court will grant conversion or that you will qualify for Chapter 7 after a failed 13.
Frequently asked questions
Converting to consumer Chapter 7 still goes through the means test. Being in a 13 already does not skip it. Use the official tables for the relevant date.
The pause on collection continues in the same case unless it has already been lifted. Changing chapters does not rewind a completed sale or repo. A 13-to-7 conversion often weakens a keep-the-house plan.
Related resources
- Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Foreclosure — Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and Foreclosure
Chapter 13 is the chapter designed to save a home when you are behind. The plan can catch up missed payments over time while you keep making the regular payment. The budget still has to work. Court approval is not automatic.
- What Happens at a 341 Meeting? — What Happens at a 341 Meeting?
After you file, you must attend a meeting of creditors. You answer the trustee’s questions under oath about your papers and what you own. Creditors may attend. In many consumer cases they do not. It is not the discharge hearing and not a trial.
- What Happens to a Co-Signer If I File Bankruptcy? — What Happens to a Co-Signer If I File Bankruptcy?
Your bankruptcy can stop collectors from chasing you on debts that are wiped out. It does not, by itself, erase a co-signer’s or guarantor’s liability. Chapter 13 has a limited extra stay for some co-signed consumer debts, and that stay can be lifted. The usual ways to actually protect a co-signer are filing together, paying the debt in a plan, or the co-signer filing their own case.
- What Is a Bankruptcy Discharge? — What Is a Bankruptcy Discharge?
A discharge is a court order that stops a creditor from collecting qualifying debts from you personally. It is not a refund. It does not, by itself, clear a title or remove a mortgage or car lien. Not every debt qualifies. Timing differs in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
- What Is the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy? — What Is the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy?
When you file bankruptcy, federal law usually pauses most collection against you and your property. That pause is not permanent. Some debts are exceptions. A recent dismissed case can shorten or cancel it.
- What Is the Bankruptcy Means Test? — What Is the Bankruptcy Means Test?
The means test looks at household income to see whether a consumer Chapter 7 case looks like you can repay creditors. It starts by comparing income to Census medians for your state and household size. If you are over the median, a second form applies allowed expenses. Chapter 13 uses related forms for plan length. Median figures change — we link the official tables instead of posting a number that will go stale.
Talk with a bankruptcy attorney
We can review your debts, property, and goals and explain Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 options that may be available.
This page is general educational information about bankruptcy as of the date shown. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Outcomes depend on individual facts and current federal and state law. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
