Every week I count how many people filed bankruptcy in our court, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. That’s the court for St. Louis, St. Charles County and the rest of eastern Missouri. Yes, this is what bankruptcy lawyers do for fun.
For the week of Oct. 12–18, 2026, there were 61 Chapter 7 cases and 42 Chapter 13 cases filed here, 103 in all. That’s a hair above the week before (59 and 40). It’s well below the weeks before that, though: Chapter 7 is running 16% under its recent four-week average, and Chapter 13 is 27% under.
Nationally, the courts I track logged 10,856 new bankruptcy cases that week, down 2% from the week before.
The bigger picture: steady here, a little busier nationally
One week is a coin flip. Holidays, month-end and even the weather can push the count around. So here’s the longer view.
Since mid-May, Chapter 7 filings in our district have held steady at about 73 a week. The last four weeks (271 cases) ran 11% below the four weeks before, so Chapter 7 is drifting down for now. Chapter 13 jumped 36% over the same stretch, but most of that is one oddly busy week, Sept. 28, with 88 filings. Over the longer 13-week view, Chapter 13 is flat at about 52 a week.
Compared with the same weeks a year ago, our Chapter 7 filings are down about 9% and Chapter 13 filings are up about 19%. Nationally, filings are up about 2% from a year ago and roughly flat over the last two months.
The national picture has been tougher than ours. Bankruptcy filings were up 8% in August from a year earlier. Epiq and the American Bankruptcy Institute pointed to a tough economy, “persistent cost pressures” and tight credit (Auto Remarketing, Sept. 8, 2026). Official figures show September up 6% nationally (ABI).
What this means if you’re struggling with debt
The numbers say one thing loud and clear: you are not the only one. Somewhere around a hundred families and small business owners in eastern Missouri file every single week. These are nurses, truck drivers, retirees and people who had one bad year.
A few things worth knowing, in general terms:
- Chapter 7 is the “fresh start” chapter. For many people it wipes out credit cards, medical bills and old personal loans in a few months. Whether you qualify depends on your income and what you own.
- Chapter 13 is a three- to five-year payment plan. People often use it to stop a foreclosure, catch up on a car or house, or protect property Chapter 7 wouldn’t.
- Waiting rarely helps. Paying credit cards out of your retirement account, or a lawsuit getting to the wage-garnishment stage, can make things harder to fix.
This is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different, and I can’t promise any particular result. What I can promise is a straight answer about your options.
If debt is keeping you up at night, contact Markwell Law in St. Peters to set up a consultation. We’ll look at your whole picture, including whether bankruptcy is the right move at all. Sometimes it isn’t, and I’ll tell you that too.
Source: CourtListener docket data for U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Mo., and U.S. bankruptcy courts nationally; national figures cover most but not all courts.
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