"Dallas–Fort Worth" is one metro but not one bankruptcy court. Depending on where your client lived, a DFW case can land in one of three different venues — across two different federal districts — each with its own local rules, trustees, and judges. Getting it right the first time avoids a transfer, a dismissal, or a re-file, so it's worth a 60-second refresher.
The Dallas Division (Northern District of Texas)
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, sits in the Earle Cabell Federal Building at 1100 Commerce St. in downtown Dallas. It covers seven counties:
- Dallas
- Ellis
- Hunt
- Johnson
- Kaufman
- Navarro
- Rockwall
Every Chapter 13 in the Dallas Division runs through the standing trustee, Tom Powers. Chapter 7 cases are assigned to a private panel trustee on a rotating basis.
The Fort Worth Division (also Northern District)
Tarrant County (Fort Worth, Arlington) and neighboring counties file in the Fort Worth Division of the same district — but with different Chapter 13 standing trustees (Tim Truman and Pam Bassel). Same district, different division, different trustee expectations.
Collin County is the one that surprises people
Here's the trap: Collin County — Plano, Frisco, McKinney and the fast-growing north-metro suburbs — is not in the Dallas Division at all. It's in the Eastern District of Texas, Plano Division. It's an easy assumption to make because Plano is a stone's throw from Dallas, but it's a different federal district with its own local rules and trustees.
Why venue is decided by the debtor, not the courthouse nearest you
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1408, venue generally turns on where the debtor was domiciled, resided, or had their principal place of business for the greater part of the 180 days before filing. So the client's home county drives the venue — which is why a firm serving the whole metro routinely files across all three of these courts.
For a preparer, this is exactly the kind of detail that has to be right before a petition is assembled: the correct district and division, the right trustee's requirements, and the local-rule quirks that go with each. We prepare filing-ready petitions and Chapter 13 plans to the correct DFW venue — you review, sign, and file.
See our full, source-linked DFW court reference for addresses, trustees, §341 (Zoom) meeting logistics, and the Texas means-test figures.
Services are provided exclusively to licensed attorneys and law firms. We are not a bankruptcy petition preparer and do not provide legal advice or services to the public. This article is general information, not legal advice.