How To Become A Bankruptcy Paralegal: What It Is and Career Path

What is a bankruptcy paralegal and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Bankruptcy paralegal provides paralegal support to lawyers who stand on behalf of debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. First, you are to process, file, and draft documents related to bankruptcy. Also, it is expected that you analyze and review bankruptcy claims. You must gather information from everyone possible, including trustees, creditors, debtors, and court clerks. Gathering information involves obtaining credit reports and writing proofs of claims. It is not enough that you monitor cases on electronic platforms; you are also to maintain hardcopy files. In addition, you are to submit legal documents to the court on time.

To qualify as a bankruptcy paralegal, you must hold a bachelor's degree or have completed any post-secondary program in law or another related field. You are expected to have a state-approved accredited paralegal certification. You will earn an average of $42,568 yearly.

ScoreBankruptcy ParalegalUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,485

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.63%

Black or African American 8.93%

Hispanic or Latino 20.18%

Unknown 4.79%

White 60.07%

Gender

female 79.69%

male 20.31%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a bankruptcy paralegal

Explore bankruptcy paralegal education requirements

Most common bankruptcy paralegal degrees

Bachelor's

47.0 %

Associate

32.4 %

Certificate

8.2 %

Start to develop specific bankruptcy paralegal skills

Skills	Percentages
Pacer	9.41%
Litigation	8.68%
Debtor	7.01%
Credit Reports	6.63%
Law Firm	6.15%

Complete relevant bankruptcy paralegal training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bankruptcy paralegals learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bankruptcy paralegal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bankruptcy paralegal resumes.

Research bankruptcy paralegal duties and responsibilities

Manage and organize all aspects of foreclosure cases coordinating document flow and logistical preparation for complex cases.
Manage large volume of documents, enabling attorneys to easily identify key documents that are critical for mediation and arbitration.
Prepare first and final probate court filings.
Draft pleadings, research court filings, and communicate with title companies to process real estate foreclosure proceedings.

Prepare your bankruptcy paralegal resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bankruptcy paralegal resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bankruptcy paralegal resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable bankruptcy paralegal resume templates

Build a professional bankruptcy paralegal resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bankruptcy paralegal resume.