Compare your options

How does Fresh Slate compare?

There are real alternatives — some great, some not — for getting a Chapter 7 filed without paying full attorney fees. Here is an honest side-by-side so you can pick the right one for your situation.

We built Fresh Slate because the gap between "free, no help" and "$2,000+ attorney" was leaving most working-class Californians stuck. The table below names the alternatives, what each actually costs, and what you trade off for the lower price.

We are not trying to talk you out of any of the other options. Upsolve does great work for filers who qualify, especially outside California. A full attorney is the right call whenever your case is anything other than the simplest profile. Even pro se filing is legitimate if you have the legal literacy for it. The point is to know what you are picking.

Comparison of the legitimate paths to a Chapter 7 filing for a California resident.
Option	Fresh Slate	Upsolve	BPP (§ 110)	Debt settlement	Full attorney	Pro se
Total cost	$478 total (court $338 + counseling/education ~$40 + review $100)	$338 total (court fee only — Upsolve itself is free, donation-supported)	Court $338 + BPP fee (typically $150–$300; capped by district)	15%–25% of enrolled debt as fees; total often $3,000–$8,000+	Court $338 + attorney $1,500–$3,000 in San Diego County (varies by complexity)	Court $338 only (fee waiver available if income < 150% of federal poverty line — Form 103B)
Attorney involved?	Yes — Eugenio Ramos, Esq. (CA Bar #261964)	No — Upsolve is a non-profit; tool is supervised by their staff but no attorney signs your filing	No — BPPs are explicitly non-attorneys (11 U.S.C. § 110)	Usually no — some offer "attorney models" but the attorney rarely handles your file	Yes — attorney handles everything start to finish	No — you are your own counsel
Attorney reviews filing?	Yes, every filing, before it reaches the court	No — referrals to free legal aid available for complex cases	No — and BPPs cannot legally give any advice	No — and they cannot stop creditor lawsuits during the program	Yes — attorney drafts and signs	No
Geographic coverage	California only	Most US states (varies; check their site)	Nationwide, but locally licensed	Nationwide	Wherever the attorney is licensed	Anywhere — file in your district
Generates court forms?	Yes — official court forms from intake answers	Yes — full form generation	Yes — typing service only	N/A — this is not bankruptcy	Yes — by the attorney/paralegal	You fill out the official forms yourself
California exemption advice?	Yes — included in the attorney review	Limited — general guidance; complex CA cases referred out	Prohibited by statute — they cannot pick exemptions for you	N/A	Yes — full legal advice	You research it yourself
Languages	English and Spanish, fully bilingual	English primarily; some Spanish resources	Varies by preparer	Varies	Depends on attorney	Forms in English; some Spanish guidance via court websites
Typical intake time	About 45 minutes spread over 1–2 sessions	Similar — intake-style web interview	In-person; one or two visits	3–5 years to "complete" — creditors keep calling	Multiple in-person or video meetings over 2–6 weeks	Highly variable — days to weeks of self-study
Best for	Simple Chapter 7 cases in California: single filer, renter, mostly unsecured debt	No-asset Chapter 7 filers anywhere in the US who qualify; very low income	Filers who already know what to file and need only typing help	Honestly: rarely the right answer for someone who would qualify for Chapter 7	Any case with real estate, joint filing, active lawsuits, business assets, or anything complex	Honestly: people with high legal literacy and very simple cases. Rare in practice.
Main risks	Scope-limited — qualifier blocks you if your case is too complex (which is the point)	No California-specific attorney review; CA-specific complexities (704 vs 703 election, county-level trustee variation) handled by referral, not in-product	No legal advice means no one is watching for exemption mistakes — the most common pro-se filing error	Creditor lawsuits can still happen; forgiven debt can be taxable income; credit score impact persists for years	Cost — the same fees that lock most low-income filers out of legitimate filing	High dismissal rate; exemption mistakes can cost more than attorney fees would have

Fresh Slate

Total cost: $478 total (court $338 + counseling/education ~$40 + review $100)
Attorney involved?: Yes — Eugenio Ramos, Esq. (CA Bar #261964)
Attorney reviews filing?: Yes, every filing, before it reaches the court
Geographic coverage: California only
Generates court forms?: Yes — official court forms from intake answers
California exemption advice?: Yes — included in the attorney review
Languages: English and Spanish, fully bilingual
Typical intake time: About 45 minutes spread over 1–2 sessions
Best for: Simple Chapter 7 cases in California: single filer, renter, mostly unsecured debt
Main risks: Scope-limited — qualifier blocks you if your case is too complex (which is the point)

Upsolve

Total cost: $338 total (court fee only — Upsolve itself is free, donation-supported)
Attorney involved?: No — Upsolve is a non-profit; tool is supervised by their staff but no attorney signs your filing
Attorney reviews filing?: No — referrals to free legal aid available for complex cases
Geographic coverage: Most US states (varies; check their site)
Generates court forms?: Yes — full form generation
California exemption advice?: Limited — general guidance; complex CA cases referred out
Languages: English primarily; some Spanish resources
Typical intake time: Similar — intake-style web interview
Best for: No-asset Chapter 7 filers anywhere in the US who qualify; very low income
Main risks: No California-specific attorney review; CA-specific complexities (704 vs 703 election, county-level trustee variation) handled by referral, not in-product

Bankruptcy Petition Preparer (§ 110)

Total cost: Court $338 + BPP fee (typically $150–$300; capped by district)
Attorney involved?: No — BPPs are explicitly non-attorneys (11 U.S.C. § 110)
Attorney reviews filing?: No — and BPPs cannot legally give any advice
Geographic coverage: Nationwide, but locally licensed
Generates court forms?: Yes — typing service only
California exemption advice?: Prohibited by statute — they cannot pick exemptions for you
Languages: Varies by preparer
Typical intake time: In-person; one or two visits
Best for: Filers who already know what to file and need only typing help
Main risks: No legal advice means no one is watching for exemption mistakes — the most common pro-se filing error

Debt-settlement / debt-relief company

Total cost: 15%–25% of enrolled debt as fees; total often $3,000–$8,000+
Attorney involved?: Usually no — some offer "attorney models" but the attorney rarely handles your file
Attorney reviews filing?: No — and they cannot stop creditor lawsuits during the program
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Generates court forms?: N/A — this is not bankruptcy
California exemption advice?: N/A
Languages: Varies
Typical intake time: 3–5 years to "complete" — creditors keep calling
Best for: Honestly: rarely the right answer for someone who would qualify for Chapter 7
Main risks: Creditor lawsuits can still happen; forgiven debt can be taxable income; credit score impact persists for years

Traditional full-service attorney

Total cost: Court $338 + attorney $1,500–$3,000 in San Diego County (varies by complexity)
Attorney involved?: Yes — attorney handles everything start to finish
Attorney reviews filing?: Yes — attorney drafts and signs
Geographic coverage: Wherever the attorney is licensed
Generates court forms?: Yes — by the attorney/paralegal
California exemption advice?: Yes — full legal advice
Languages: Depends on attorney
Typical intake time: Multiple in-person or video meetings over 2–6 weeks
Best for: Any case with real estate, joint filing, active lawsuits, business assets, or anything complex
Main risks: Cost — the same fees that lock most low-income filers out of legitimate filing

Pro se (filing yourself with no help)

Total cost: Court $338 only (fee waiver available if income < 150% of federal poverty line — Form 103B)
Attorney involved?: No — you are your own counsel
Attorney reviews filing?: No
Geographic coverage: Anywhere — file in your district
Generates court forms?: You fill out the official forms yourself
California exemption advice?: You research it yourself
Languages: Forms in English; some Spanish guidance via court websites
Typical intake time: Highly variable — days to weeks of self-study
Best for: Honestly: people with high legal literacy and very simple cases. Rare in practice.
Main risks: High dismissal rate; exemption mistakes can cost more than attorney fees would have

Cost figures: court filing fee per US Bankruptcy Court schedule (current $338). Counseling/education from approved providers (US Trustee Program list). Attorney fee ranges reflect typical San Diego County rates for simple no-asset Chapter 7 cases. Specific dollar amounts update periodically — call (619) 477-7600 for current figures.

Where Fresh Slate fits

Fresh Slate is for the case in the middle: too complex for free national tools (which can't navigate California's two exemption systems and county-level trustee variation), but too simple to justify $2,000+ in attorney fees. We handle that gap by pairing an AI-driven intake with a flat-fee California attorney review.

If your case is truly simple — single filer, renter, no real estate, mostly credit-card and medical debt, no pending lawsuit — Fresh Slate is probably the right tool. If anything pushes you outside that profile, the qualifier will route you to a free consultation with Eugenio. You don't lose anything by trying the qualifier first.

Why we mention Upsolve specifically

Upsolve (upsolve.org) is the largest national DIY Chapter 7 tool and the most-cited free option in this space. Their team does excellent work on legal-aid scale. The gap they leave open in California is the in-product attorney review — they refer complex cases to legal aid, which is appropriate for their model but means California-specific exemption nuance (704 vs 703 election, equity protection, county trustee variation) gets handled by referral rather than within the engagement.

Fresh Slate keeps that California complexity inside the engagement. The trade is geographic scope — we only cover California. If you are filing outside California and your case is simple, use Upsolve. If you are in California, the $100 attorney review is worth it.

Why we list debt-settlement at all

Debt-settlement companies are not bankruptcy and we generally do not recommend them for anyone who would qualify for Chapter 7. We list them here because they advertise heavily and many users genuinely believe they are an alternative. They are not — they take 15–25% of your enrolled debt as fees, can't legally stop creditor lawsuits during the program, and often leave clients with surprise tax bills on forgiven debt. If you qualify for Chapter 7, Chapter 7 is almost always the better option.

Want to see if Fresh Slate is the right fit?

Seven yes/no questions. If your case falls outside our self-serve scope, the qualifier will tell you and route you to a free consultation with Eugenio.

Check if I qualify Or call (619) 477-7600