You do not need a law degree, a paralegal certificate, or any legal experience to become a bankruptcy petition preparer. What you need is a specialized, learnable skill: drafting accurate Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions. This guide walks through the entire path, step by step.
First, Understand the Two Career Paths
People who draft bankruptcy petitions for a living generally work in one of two ways:
1. Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant (VBA) — you draft petitions for bankruptcy attorneys, working remotely. The attorney represents the debtor, reviews your draft, and files it with the court. This is the path most of our students choose: attorneys send repeat work, there are no special federal restrictions on your role, and you can serve law firms in any state. Learn more in What is a Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant?
2. Bankruptcy Petition Preparer (BPP) — you prepare petitions directly for consumers who are filing without an attorney. This role is defined and regulated by federal law (11 U.S.C. §110): you must sign and identify yourself on the documents you prepare, you cannot give legal advice, and many bankruptcy districts cap the fee you may charge. It is legal work-from-home business, but the rules are strict and the fees are limited.
The drafting skill is identical for both paths — the difference is who your client is. For a deeper comparison, read The Difference Between a Bankruptcy Assistant and a Petition Preparer.
Step 1: Learn Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Petition Drafting
A bankruptcy petition is a standardized package of official forms and schedules: assets, debts, income, expenses, contracts, and the means test. Drafting one accurately is a genuine professional skill — but it is a forms-and-procedure skill, not law school. With structured video training, most students learn it in 2–4 months studying part-time.
Our Chapter 7 & 13 Bankruptcy Petition Mastery course teaches every form, schedule, and section of both chapters through over-the-shoulder video lessons, then has you draft a complete petition from de-identified real client information in a hands-on workbook.
Step 2: Get the Software
Professional petitions are drafted in bankruptcy petition software, which handles the official forms and math. You do not need to buy anything before training — the course walks through the software step by step, and trial options exist for practice.
Step 3: Practice Until Your Drafts Are Court-Ready
Attorneys hire drafters for one reason: accuracy. Practicing on realistic client data — messy pay stubs, incomplete creditor lists, real-world income situations — is what turns training into competence. This is exactly what the workbook portion of the course is designed for.
Step 4: Get Certified
Certification is not legally required, but it answers the first question every attorney client will ask: how do I know your work is accurate? The Bankruptcy Petition Specialist™ certification is the only trademarked bankruptcy petition certification program, and exam registration for both chapters is included with our course. We cover whether it is worth it in detail in Is Bankruptcy Petition Certification Worth It?
Step 5: Land Your First Attorney Clients
If you choose the VBA path, your clients are bankruptcy attorneys — and landing the first one is the real start of your business. Marketing training for exactly this is included as a course bonus, and our blog has field-tested guidance like Marketing Your Virtual Bankruptcy Assistant Business. Attorneys are repeat clients: one steady firm can send you petitions every month.
How Long Does the Whole Path Take?
Most students go from zero experience to offering services in 2–4 months, training part-time around a job or family. There is no degree program, no licensing exam, and no state-by-state requalification — the skill works nationwide.
What Can You Earn?
Petition drafting is billed per project, not per hour — trained drafters commonly charge several hundred dollars per petition. We break down the full math in How Much Do Bankruptcy Petition Preparers Make?
Ready to start? See exactly what is inside the training on our work-from-home bankruptcy training page, or enroll in Chapter 7 & 13 Mastery and start today.
Related: How to Fill Out Bankruptcy Forms (And Why People Pay $400+ for Someone Else to Do It)