Chapter 13 Payment Calculator
Estimate a Chapter 13 plan payment from mortgage arrears, vehicle arrears, priority debts, attorney fees, unsecured-debt targets, and trustee administration.
This is a national planning calculator with specific DC, Maryland, and Virginia data. It is not a legal Form 122C disposable-income calculation, and it does not decide whether a plan can be confirmed.
Chapter 13 payment plan examples
These are composite examples for planning. They are not client stories, typical outcomes, fee quotes, or promises about what a court or trustee will approve.
Mortgage arrears and a budget shortfall
A homeowner is behind on mortgage payments, has a small vehicle arrearage, priority tax debt, and attorney fees to pay through the plan.
- Planning inputs
- $18,000 mortgage arrears, $2,500 secured arrears, $4,500 priority debt, $4,500 attorney fees, $42,000 general unsecured debt at a 10% target, $3,000 non-exempt equity, and a $650 monthly budget surplus.
- Estimated result
- About $1,039/month over 36 months, or $650/month in a 60-month budget-driven view.
- Takeaway
- Chapter 13 may help cure arrears, but the regular mortgage payment still has to be affordable outside or alongside the plan.
Mostly unsecured debt with higher income
A Virginia filer has mostly credit-card and medical debt, no mortgage arrears, and income that may require a 60-month commitment-period review.
- Planning inputs
- $80,000 unsecured debt, $4,500 attorney fees through the plan, 25% unsecured target, $1,200 estimated budget surplus.
- Estimated result
- The budget floor may control at roughly $1,200/month unless a full Form 122C and Schedule J review supports a different number.
- Takeaway
- For higher-income filers, the payment may be driven more by income and budget than by a minimum unsecured-debt percentage.
Mixed secured and priority claims
A DC filer needs to catch up on a vehicle, address priority tax debt, and estimate a modest distribution to unsecured creditors.
- Planning inputs
- $4,000 vehicle arrears, $8,000 priority tax debt, $4,000 attorney fees, $25,000 unsecured debt, 10% unsecured target.
- Estimated result
- Roughly $575/month over 36 months, or a 60-month estimate that may fall near the entered budget-surplus floor.
- Takeaway
- Priority debt and vehicle treatment can matter more than credit-card balances when they must be funded through the plan.
When the plan reaches 100%
A filer with manageable unsecured debt and enough disposable income may hit a full-payment ceiling before the budget number controls.
- Planning inputs
- $15,000 unsecured debt, $2,000 priority debt, attorney fees through the plan, and a 100% unsecured repayment target.
- Estimated result
- The calculator caps the result at a full-payment plan instead of treating extra budget as unlimited plan funding.
- Takeaway
- A higher budget surplus does not always mean creditors receive more than 100% of allowed claims.
The calculator finds the higher planning floor
Chapter 13 payment planning usually starts with debts that must be funded, then checks whether the household budget appears to require a higher plan payment.
| Step | What the calculator does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Required claims | Adds arrears, priority debt, attorney fees paid through the plan, filing fee, and other required funding. | These amounts often need to be funded before unsecured creditors receive anything meaningful. |
| Unsecured floor | Uses the greater of the non-exempt equity estimate or the selected unsecured repayment target. | Plans generally must pay unsecured creditors at least what they would receive in a Chapter 7 liquidation. |
| Trustee administration | Grosses up the claim subtotal using the selected district's Chapter 13 administrative multiplier. | A plan payment has to fund creditor distributions and administration, not just the debt line items. |
| Budget floor | Compares the debt-driven result to the entered monthly budget surplus over 36 and 60 months. | This is a practical affordability screen, not a legal disposable-income calculation. |
DC
DC means test DC exemptionsMaryland
Maryland means test Maryland exemptionsVirginia
Virginia means test Virginia exemptionsThe local numbers built into the calculator
The trustee administration percentage is the biggest local calculator input. Median-income data is used only for the optional 36-month versus 60-month warning.
| Jurisdiction | Admin multiplier before July 15, 2026 | Admin multiplier on/after July 15, 2026 | Median income data included? |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 8.4% | 9.1% | Yes, District of Columbia household-size table |
| District of Maryland | 8.6% | 9.1% | Yes, Maryland household-size table |
| Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia | 10.0% | 10.0% | Yes, Virginia household-size table |
| Other states | 10.0% placeholder | 10.0% placeholder | No. Verify the local district data before relying on the estimate. |
What a calculator cannot decide
The result is useful for first-pass planning, but Chapter 13 confirmation depends on more than arithmetic.
Debt limits still matter
Current Chapter 13 eligibility references unsecured debt below $526,700 and secured debt below $1,580,125, plus regular income and other filing requirements.
Form 122C may change the floor
Above-median filers may need a five-year commitment period and a separate projected-disposable-income review. A budget-surplus estimate is not a substitute for that analysis.
Exemptions can move the number
Non-exempt equity can require more unsecured-creditor funding. That depends on state exemptions, title, valuation, liens, and trustee practice.
A new case may not lead to a discharge
This rule concerns discharge, not whether a Chapter 13 case may be filed. If a debtor received a discharge in an earlier case filed within four years under Chapter 7, 11, or 12—or within two years under Chapter 13—Section 1328(f) can bar a discharge in the new Chapter 13 case. A plan may still be possible, but the dates and prior chapter need individual review.
Some vehicle claims need different treatment
The calculator does not apply the special rule for a creditor with a purchase-money security interest in a vehicle the debtor acquired for personal use when the debt was incurred within 910 days before filing. In that situation, Section 506 does not apply to the claim, so the proposed treatment needs individual review.
Chapter 13 payment calculator FAQs
How accurate is a Chapter 13 payment calculator?
A calculator can estimate the debt-driven floor of a Chapter 13 plan, but it cannot confirm a plan. The final payment depends on income, Schedule I and J, Form 122C, exemptions, trustee review, objections, local rules, and the exact claims filed in the case.
Does this calculator calculate disposable income under Form 122C?
No. The monthly budget surplus field is a planning proxy, not a legal disposable-income calculation. Above-median Chapter 13 cases usually require a separate Form 122C review using official standards and case-specific deductions.
Why does the calculator show 36-month and 60-month estimates?
Chapter 13 plans commonly run three to five years. Under the applicable commitment-period rules, below-median filers generally use three years, while above-median filers generally use five years unless unsecured creditors are paid in full sooner.
What debts usually have to be paid through a Chapter 13 plan?
Plans often need to address mortgage arrears, vehicle arrears, priority tax or support claims, trustee administration, attorney fees paid through the plan, and at least the legally required amount for unsecured creditors.
Why does the trustee percentage matter?
Chapter 13 trustees administer plan payments and distribute funds to creditors. The U.S. Trustee Program publishes administrative-expense multipliers by judicial district, and those percentages affect the gross plan payment needed to fund creditor distributions.
Can Chapter 13 stop foreclosure and let me catch up?
Chapter 13 may stop many foreclosure actions if the automatic stay applies and the case is filed before the sale is complete. Keeping the home usually requires curing arrears through the plan while staying current on new mortgage payments.
Is this calculator only for DC, Maryland, and Virginia?
The calculator can be used as a national planning tool, but it includes specific trustee-rate and median-income data for DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Filers elsewhere should verify their district multiplier and local practice with a local bankruptcy attorney.
Is this calculator legal advice?
No. This calculator is general legal information and a planning estimate. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and it does not replace legal advice from a bankruptcy attorney who has reviewed your income, assets, debts, exemptions, and local court requirements.
Are attorney fees included in a Chapter 13 plan?
Often, some attorney fees can be paid through a Chapter 13 plan, subject to the fee agreement, local rules, trustee review, and court approval. The calculator includes an editable attorney-fee field because the amount and timing are case-specific.
Can Chapter 13 lower my credit card payments?
Chapter 13 may reduce what unsecured creditors such as credit-card lenders receive, but it does not guarantee a specific reduction. The required unsecured payment can change because of disposable income, non-exempt equity, objections, and whether the plan pays creditors in full.
What if I do not know my non-exempt equity?
Use zero only as a placeholder. Non-exempt equity depends on property value, liens, title, and exemption law. Review the exemption resources for your filing state before relying on the calculator result.
Connect eligibility, assets, and collections
These topics usually overlap. Chapter choice, plan affordability, property protection, and active collections all need to be checked together.
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13
Compare the main consumer bankruptcy chapters before choosing a filing path.
Compare chaptersBankruptcy cost
Review filing fees, course costs, attorney-fee factors, and local Chapter 13 fee-review references.
Review costsChapter 13 payment calculator
Estimate a Chapter 13 plan payment using arrears, priority debts, unsecured-debt targets, and trustee administration.
Stop foreclosure
Review bankruptcy timing, Chapter 13 feasibility, and DC/MD/VA foreclosure process issues.
Review foreclosure optionsBankruptcy and security clearance
Plan bankruptcy documents, disclosure consistency, and debt-resolution records for clearance-sensitive work.
Review clearance planningChapter 7 means test
Screen income and household size before deciding whether Chapter 7 is realistic.
Review means testBankruptcy exemptions
Check what property may be protected in DC, Maryland, or Virginia.
Compare exemptionsWage garnishment
Estimate paycheck exposure and review how filing may affect collections.
Review wage rulesUse the estimate to test Chapter 13 feasibility
If the payment looks close in a DC, Maryland, or Virginia case, Roman Law Firm can review the real claims, budget, exemptions, income period, and local trustee issues before a filing decision is made.
Sources used for calculator assumptions
The calculator uses official bankruptcy and U.S. Trustee Program data for the national and DMV-specific assumptions.
Chapter 13 basics: U.S. Courts Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Basics, including eligibility, plan duration, foreclosure, and payment concepts.
Prior-discharge timing and recent vehicle debt: 11 U.S.C. § 1328(f) and the paragraph following 11 U.S.C. § 1325(a)(9).
Filing fee: U.S. Courts Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule. The calculator field is editable because local payment logistics can vary.
Means-testing data: U.S. Trustee Program Means Testing, cases filed on or after July 15, 2026, including the median income table and Chapter 13 administrative-expense multipliers.
Prior active UST data: U.S. Trustee Program Means Testing, cases filed April 1-July 14, 2026, used for the pre-July 15 trustee percentages.