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Yes. A person is not permitted to file a chapter 7 case unless he or she has, during the 180-day period prior to filing, received from an approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency an individual or group briefing that outlined the opportunities for available credit counseling and assisted the person in performing a budget analysis. This briefing may be conducted by telephone or on the internet, if desired, and must be paid for by the person. When the chapter 7 case is filed, a certificate from the agency describing the services provided to the person must be filed with the court. A copy of any debt repayment plan prepared for the person by the agency must also be filed with the court. In emergency situations, the required credit counseling may be conducted after the case is filed.

A chapter 7 case is filed in the office of the clerk of the bankruptcy court in the district where the debtor has resided or maintained a principal place of business for the greater portion of the last 180 days. The bankruptcy court is a federal court and is a unit of the United States district court.

When a chapter 7 case is filed, it becomes a public record and the names of the persons filing may be published by some credit-reporting agencies. However, newspapers do not usually report or publish the names of consumers who file chapter 7 cases.

After the meeting of creditors, the trustee may contact the person filing regarding his or her property and the court may issue certain orders to the person. These orders are sent by mail and may require the person to turn certain property over to the trustee, or provide the trustee with certain information. If the person fails to comply with these orders, the case may be dismissed, in which case his or her debts will not be discharged. The person must also attend and complete an instructional course on personal financial management and file a statement with the court showing completion of the course.

The basic difference between a chapter 7 case and a chapter 13 case is that in a chapter 7 case the debtor's nonexempt property (if any exists) is liquidated to pay as much as possible of the debtor's debts, while in chapter 13 cases a portion of the debtor's future income is used to pay as much of the debtor's debts as is feasible under the debtor's circumstances. As a practical matter, in a chapter 7 case the debtor loses all or most of his or her nonexempt property and receives a chapter 7 discharge, which releases the debtor from liability for most debts. In a chapter 13 case, the debtor usually retains his or her nonexempt property, but must pay off as much of his or her debts as the court deems feasible and receives a chapter 13 discharge, which is slightly broader than a chapter 7 discharge and releases the debtor from liability for a few types of debts that are not dischargeable under chapter 7. However, a chapter 13 case normally lasts much longer than a chapter 7 case and is usually more expensive for the debtor.