Where Should I File Bankruptcy: A Guide For The Middle District Of Florida

So, you need to file bankruptcy, but where should you file?  Bankruptcies are filed according to where you reside, or if you have been there for less than 180 days, then it is according to where you have lived.  The below assumes you have lived within a particular area, called a Division (which is part of a District) for at least 180 days before filing.

The state of Florida is broken up into 3 Districts, known as the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts. Each District is further broken up into Divisions. The Middle District is divided into four Divisions known as the Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Myers Divisions.

You would file in the District, subject to certain residency requirements, as follows: 

You would file in the JACKSONVILLE Division if you reside in one of the following counties: Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns,  Suwannee, and Union . The place of holding court is Jacksonville.

You would file in the OCALA Division if you reside in one of the following counties: Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter.  This place for holding court is Ocala.

You would file in the ORLANDO Division if you reside in one of the following counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia. The place of holding court is Orlando. 

You would file in the TAMPA Division if you reside in one of the following counties: Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota. The place of holding court is Tampa. 

You would file in the FT. MYERS Division if you reside in one of the following counties: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry and Lee. The place of holding court is Ft. Myers.

If you plan on filing bankruptcy having lived within a particular District for less than 180 days, you should seek the advise of an attorney to determine where you need to file.