What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?

Chapter 7 sells nonexempt property to pay creditors and usually ends within months. Chapter 13 lets people with regular income keep property and repay debts over three to five years under a court-approved plan.

Where do these numbers come from?

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes Table F-5A, which counts bankruptcy cases commenced in each county over a 12-month period, by chapter and by business or nonbusiness debt.

Checked Oct 22, 2026

Maine Bankruptcy Filings

12 months ending 06/30/2026

Cases filed: 667; +3.7% from a year earlier
Chapter 7: 476
Chapter 13: 134
Business cases: 92

Counts are bankruptcy cases filed, grouped by the county of the debtor's address as reported by the courts, so state totals include residents who filed in another state's court. A case can include a married couple filing jointly. Chapter 7 is liquidation, Chapter 13 is a repayment plan for individuals and Chapter 11 is reorganization, mostly for businesses. These are statistics only and do not describe any person or case.

Business bankruptcy cases in Maine by county, with companies, banks and industries.

Business bankruptcies

Five-year trend

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

12 months ending	Total	Chapter 7	Chapter 13	Business
06/30/2026	667	476	134	92
06/30/2025	643	465	148	69
06/30/2024	541	413	107	54
06/30/2023	579	446	110	52
06/30/2022	566	448	101	42

By county

12 months ending 06/30/2026

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

County	Cases	Per 1,000 residents	Chapter 7	Chapter 13
Cumberland County	160	0.51	94	39
York County	122	0.55	79	36
Penobscot County	84	0.54	70	14
Androscoggin County	63	0.55	47	11
Kennebec County	55	0.43	44	7
Aroostook County	35	0.52	31	2
Somerset County	32	0.62	28	3
Oxford County	27	0.45	14	8
Hancock County	18	0.32	14	2
Waldo County	15	0.37	11	3
Washington County	15	0.48	13	2
Sagadahoc County	13	0.35	10	3
Knox County	11	0.27	6	3
Franklin County	7	0.23	6	1
Lincoln County	6	0.16	5	0
Piscataquis County	4	0.23	4	0

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?: Chapter 7 sells nonexempt property to pay creditors and usually ends within months. Chapter 13 lets people with regular income keep property and repay debts over three to five years under a court-approved plan.
Where do these numbers come from?: The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes Table F-5A, which counts bankruptcy cases commenced in each county over a 12-month period, by chapter and by business or nonbusiness debt.

Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A · Last updated 06/30/2026

Data sources

Bankruptcy Filings Statistics (Table F-5A)Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Data as of 06/30/2026

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