I have been helping develop bankruptcy software for the past 10 years, so I was excited early in 2026 when a bankruptcy petition preparer named Cheryl reached out to Fresh Start Finance to see whether we could provide affordable bankruptcy software specifically for bankruptcy petition preparers.
Cheryl explained that the software options available to petition preparers were becoming increasingly expensive. For someone preparing bankruptcy documents at relatively low fees, paying hundreds—or potentially thousands—of dollars per year for bankruptcy software can take a meaningful bite out of the economics of the business.
That conversation got us thinking.
I worked with our CTO and development team to create a $39-per-month Fresh Start Finance plan with unlimited cases for bankruptcy petition preparers.
Instead of charging based on the number of bankruptcy cases you prepare, Fresh Start gives petition preparers access to software designed to make preparing bankruptcy forms faster and more organized while keeping the monthly software expense predictable.
If you are searching for bankruptcy software for petition preparers, here is how Fresh Start Finance works and some of the features available.
Important: Bankruptcy petition preparers are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice. Fresh Start Finance is software and does not change or expand what a bankruptcy petition preparer is legally permitted to do. Petition preparers should understand and comply with 11 U.S.C. § 110, applicable bankruptcy court rules, local requirements, and other laws governing their services. Under federal law, a bankruptcy petition preparer generally prepares documents for filing for compensation but may not provide legal advice.
How Fresh Start Works for Bankruptcy Petition Preparers
The goal behind Fresh Start Finance is pretty simple: make bankruptcy petition preparation easier without requiring expensive desktop bankruptcy software.
Fresh Start is an online bankruptcy software platform, so there is no traditional desktop software installation required. You can access the system through your computer and work on your bankruptcy cases online. Fresh Start's broader bankruptcy platform is designed around entering case information and seeing bankruptcy schedules update as the information is entered.
For a bankruptcy petition preparer, the basic workflow can look something like this:
1. Create the Bankruptcy Case
Start by creating a case for the debtor and entering the information provided by your client. You would select, "Pro Se - Petition Preparer" as the status.
Fresh Start organizes the information used throughout the bankruptcy forms, including information relating to assets, debts, creditors, income, expenses, financial accounts, and other information required by the bankruptcy forms.
One feature we particularly wanted to make flexible was the ability to enter numerous accounts or creditors without making the software cumbersome. Fresh Start allows users to add many financial accounts and see the corresponding schedules update in real time. For example, you will see that the two required bankruptcy petition forms become available once you set the case as a bankruptcy petition preparar pro se case.
2. Enter the Debtor's Information
Instead of repeatedly jumping between individual PDF forms, Fresh Start is designed around a guided data-entry experience.
As information is entered, the software uses that information to populate the applicable bankruptcy forms.
This is particularly useful because the same debtor information may appear in several places throughout a bankruptcy petition. Rather than manually typing the same information over and over again, bankruptcy software can reduce repetitive entry.
3. Add Creditors and Debts
Creditor entry can be one of the most time-consuming parts of preparing a bankruptcy petition, particularly when a debtor has dozens of credit cards, collection accounts, personal loans, medical debts, secured debts, or other obligations.
Fresh Start is designed to organize creditor information and populate that information into the appropriate bankruptcy schedules based on the data entered into the software.
The broader Fresh Start platform also supports credit-report importing, which can automatically pull creditor information into a case.
Petition preparers should, of course, only classify or enter information based upon information supplied by the debtor and within the scope of services legally permitted to a bankruptcy petition preparer. Federal law prohibits bankruptcy petition preparers from providing legal advice, including advice about how debts should be characterized.
4. Review the Bankruptcy Forms
One of my favorite features in Fresh Start is the ability to see bankruptcy schedules update while information is being entered.
Instead of finishing an entire questionnaire and then wondering what the final forms will look like, Fresh Start allows users to view forms alongside the information being entered.
This makes it much easier to catch things such as:
The debtor remains responsible for reviewing the information contained in the petition before filing.
5. Generate the Bankruptcy Petition PDF
Once the information has been completed and reviewed, Fresh Start can generate the applicable bankruptcy forms for review and filing.
Our goal is to reduce the amount of manual PDF manipulation that petition preparers have traditionally had to perform.
Fresh Start is ultimately designed to take information from intake through bankruptcy form preparation in one connected workflow.
What Are the Fresh Start Features for Petition Preparers?
We have spent years looking at bankruptcy software and asking one question:
Why does preparing a bankruptcy petition have to require so many clicks?
Fresh Start has been designed around reducing repetitive work and making bankruptcy preparation more intuitive.
Here are some of the features petition preparers may find particularly helpful.
Unlimited Bankruptcy Cases for $39 Per Month
Probably the biggest benefit for petition preparers is the price.
The Fresh Start Starter plan is $39 per month and includes unlimited cases. Fresh Start's publicly listed pricing comparisons also describe the Starter plan as $39 per month, or $468 annually, with unlimited cases.
That means the effective software cost per bankruptcy falls as your volume increases.
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See How the Cost Per Case Drops
Fresh Start is $39 per month with unlimited bankruptcy cases, so the more cases you prepare, the lower your effective software cost per case.
| Cases Per Month | Cases Per Year | Fresh Start Cost Per Case |
|---|
| 1 case | 12 | $39.00 |
| 3 cases | 36 | $13.00 |
| 5 cases | 60 | $7.80 |
| 10 cases | 120 | $3.90 |
| 20 cases | 240 | $1.95 |
| 40 cases | 480 | Under $1 per case $0.98 |
$39 / month
Unlimited bankruptcy cases Your subscription price stays the same as your petition preparation business grows.
Examples assume a $39 monthly subscription for 12 months and are provided simply to illustrate the subscription cost per case.
For a petition preparation business where keeping overhead low matters, we believe unlimited-case pricing can make a significant difference.
Online Bankruptcy Software
Fresh Start is web-based rather than traditional desktop-only bankruptcy software.
This means you do not have to depend on a single office computer to access the program.
For petition preparers who work remotely, operate a small office, or occasionally need to access cases from another location, that flexibility can be especially useful.
Real-Time Bankruptcy Forms
Fresh Start lets you see bankruptcy schedules update while entering information.
We designed this because entering information blindly and waiting until the end to generate a PDF can make errors harder to notice.
Seeing the resulting forms can make the review process much easier.
Flexible Creditor and Financial Account Entry
Some debtors have a handful of creditors.
Others have dozens.
Fresh Start is designed to handle cases with large numbers of financial accounts rather than forcing users through an unnecessarily restrictive workflow. The platform specifically supports adding 10 or more financial accounts and updating the related schedules as data is entered.
Bankruptcy Form Preparation
Fresh Start takes the information entered into the platform and uses it to prepare the applicable bankruptcy forms.
The platform includes tools designed around petition preparation, schedules, means-test-related information, creditor information, income and expenses, and other information used throughout consumer bankruptcy filings. Fresh
Start's current platform focuses primarily on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy workflows.
Again, petition preparers must stay within the limitations applicable to BPPs. Software can help put information onto forms; it does not authorize a non-attorney petition preparer to choose exemptions, determine whether a debt is dischargeable, tell a debtor which chapter to file, or otherwise provide legal advice.
PDF Generation
Once the bankruptcy forms have been completed, they can be generated for review.
This gives the petition preparer and debtor an opportunity to carefully review the forms before the debtor files them with the bankruptcy court.
Form 119 and Petition Preparer Requirements
Bankruptcy petition preparers have additional disclosure obligations that ordinary pro se debtors do not have.
For example, Official Form 119, Bankruptcy Petition Preparer's Notice, Declaration, and Signature, is used when a bankruptcy petition preparer assists in preparing documents filed in a bankruptcy case. The official form explains that petition preparers may not provide legal advice and requires information and signatures from the preparer.
A petition preparer who prepares a petition also generally must file a disclosure concerning compensation. Official Form B2800 is the Disclosure of Compensation of Bankruptcy Petition Preparer.
We believe bankruptcy software designed for petition preparers should make it easier to account for the documents specific to the BPP workflow rather than treating every user exactly like a bankruptcy law firm.
A Platform We Continue to Improve
One thing that is a little different about Fresh Start is that we are actively developing the product.
We regularly talk with bankruptcy attorneys, staff, petition preparers, and other bankruptcy professionals about what takes them the most time.
Many of our features have come directly from conversations like the one I had with Cheryl.
Fresh Start's current product roadmap includes expanded document automation, local-form functionality, intake improvements, and additional filing workflows.When we hear the same pain point repeatedly, we look at whether there is a way for software to solve it.
Do Bankruptcy Petition Preparers Get Access to Support?
Yes.
This was important to me.
Low-cost software should not mean that you are completely on your own when you have a question about how the software works.
Fresh Start provides support contact options, and our website currently lists both email and telephone support.Our team can help with questions about using the Fresh Start Finance software, such as navigating the program, entering data, understanding where software functionality is located, or troubleshooting technical issues.
There is an important distinction, however.
Fresh Start does not act as the debtor's attorney, and software support cannot provide legal advice about a debtor's case. Likewise, bankruptcy petition preparers themselves are subject to strict restrictions on providing legal advice. For legal questions, the debtor should speak with a qualified bankruptcy attorney.
Is Fresh Start Finance Only for Bankruptcy Attorneys?
No.
Fresh Start was initially developed heavily around the workflows of bankruptcy attorneys and bankruptcy professionals. Our main platform includes tools for intake, petition preparation, forms, document collection, client communication, case tracking, and electronic filing.
But there is also a large group of consumers who file bankruptcy pro se, meaning without an attorney.
A debtor who uses a bankruptcy petition preparer is still filing pro se. The petition preparer is not representing the debtor as an attorney; the preparer is providing permitted document-preparation services subject to the restrictions of 11 U.S.C. § 110.
That distinction is one reason we believe there is room for bankruptcy software built specifically with petition preparers in mind.
Why We Created a Low-Cost Bankruptcy Petition Preparer Plan
The economics of a petition preparation business are different from those of a bankruptcy law firm.
An attorney may charge thousands of dollars for legal representation in a bankruptcy case.
A bankruptcy petition preparer provides a much more limited service and cannot provide legal representation or legal advice. Courts can also regulate the fees petition preparers charge, and local rules or guidelines may impose specific fee limitations.
It therefore did not make sense to me that a small petition preparation business should necessarily have to purchase software priced around the economics of a law firm.
That is where our $39-per-month unlimited-case plan came from.
If you prepare 20 bankruptcy petitions in a month, the subscription price doesn't suddenly increase because you were successful and helped more clients.
You still pay $39.
We want the software to help petition preparers build a more efficient business instead of becoming one of their largest overhead expenses.
What Is the Process to Get Started?
Getting started with Fresh Start Finance as a bankruptcy petition preparer is straightforward.
Step 1: Contact Fresh Start Finance
Reach out to us and let us know that you are a bankruptcy petition preparer interested in the $39-per-month unlimited-case plan.
Step 2: Get Access to Fresh Start
Our team can help you get your Fresh Start account established and walk you through the software.
If you have been using another bankruptcy preparation program, this is also a good opportunity to show us your existing workflow and understand how that workflow translates into Fresh Start.
Step 3: Create Your First Case
Once you have access, create a case and begin entering the debtor's information.
You will be able to see how Fresh Start organizes the case information and how that information flows into the bankruptcy forms.
Step 4: Review the Forms
Complete the case using the information supplied by the debtor and review the generated bankruptcy forms carefully.
The debtor should also review the completed documents for accuracy before filing.
Step 5: Prepare More Cases Without Paying Per Case
Once your workflow is established, you can continue creating cases without worrying about reaching a monthly or annual case allowance.
That was one of the primary reasons we developed this plan.
FAQs
How much does Fresh Start Finance cost for bankruptcy petition preparers?
Fresh Start Finance offers a $39-per-month plan with unlimited cases for bankruptcy petition preparers.
Does Fresh Start charge per bankruptcy case?
No. The $39 monthly plan includes unlimited cases.
Is Fresh Start bankruptcy software online?
Yes. Fresh Start Finance is web-based bankruptcy software rather than traditional desktop-only software.
Can bankruptcy petition preparers give legal advice using Fresh Start?
No. Fresh Start is a software tool and does not change the limitations imposed on bankruptcy petition preparers.
Under 11 U.S.C. § 110, bankruptcy petition preparers cannot provide legal advice. This includes matters such as advising someone whether to file bankruptcy, which chapter to file, what exemptions to claim, how debts should be characterized, or whether particular debts may be discharged.
Are cases prepared by a bankruptcy petition preparer considered pro se cases?
Yes. A bankruptcy petition preparer is not representing the debtor as an attorney. The debtor is filing the bankruptcy case without attorney representation, or pro se, even though a petition preparer assisted in preparing the documents. Section 110 specifically distinguishes a bankruptcy petition preparer from an attorney for the debtor or an employee working under the attorney's direct supervision.
Does Fresh Start support Official Form 119?
Bankruptcy petition preparers should account for Official Form 119, Bankruptcy Petition Preparer's Notice, Declaration, and Signature, when required. Federal law and the official bankruptcy forms impose special identification, notice, signature, and disclosure requirements on bankruptcy petition preparers.
Can I try or see Fresh Start before switching?
Fresh Start offers demonstrations of its bankruptcy software, so you can see how the platform works before deciding whether it fits your petition preparation business.
Affordable Bankruptcy Software for Petition Preparers
I am grateful Cheryl reached out to us. Her problem was simple:
Bankruptcy software for petition preparers had become too expensive.
We thought we could do something about it.
The result is a $39-per-month Fresh Start Finance plan with unlimited bankruptcy cases designed to give petition preparers access to modern, online bankruptcy preparation software without the high software costs traditionally associated with professional bankruptcy platforms.
And we are continuing to improve it.
If you are a bankruptcy petition preparer and would like to see whether Fresh Start Finance could work for your business, contact our team and let us know you are interested in the petition preparer plan.
We would love to show you what we have built.
This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Bankruptcy petition preparers should review 11 U.S.C. § 110, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, official bankruptcy forms, and the rules and requirements of the bankruptcy courts in which their customers file.
