Market data
Bankruptcy in Texas: market data
What public records say about the market for bankruptcy in Texas: how much demand the courts and agencies count, how many law offices serve it, how many people need help in Spanish, and the ad rules that apply. Every number links to the record it comes from.
Demand: what courts and agencies count
Counts of filings, crashes, complaints and enforcement in the records each agency keeps. A count shows where problems were recorded, not how many people will hire a lawyer.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business bankruptcy cases | 3,202 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Texas state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 14,896 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Texas state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 26,355 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Texas state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 42,460 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Texas state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints | 482 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | Texas state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-tx-debt-management · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 452 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Eastern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-e · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 2,601 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Eastern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-e · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 4,158 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Eastern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-e · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 6,846 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Eastern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-e · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 1,259 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 4,936 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 8,569 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 14,146 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 1,995 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 4,458 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 7,300 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 13,139 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 619 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Western District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-w · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 2,925 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Western District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-w · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 6,489 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Western District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-w · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 9,570 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Western District of Texas federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-tx-w · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Rising or falling
The change between the last two periods each source publishes. No threshold and no smoothing.
| Measure | Before | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business bankruptcy cases Texas · record bankruptcy-48 | 3,036 2026-06-30 | 3,202 2026-09-30 | rising (+5.5%) |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases Texas · record bankruptcy-48 | 14,013 2026-06-30 | 14,896 2026-09-30 | rising (+6.3%) |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases Texas · record bankruptcy-48 | 25,234 2026-06-30 | 26,355 2026-09-30 | rising (+4.4%) |
| Bankruptcy cases filed Texas · record bankruptcy-48 | 40,342 2026-06-30 | 42,460 2026-09-30 | rising (+5.3%) |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints Texas · record cfpb-tx-debt-management | 471 prior 12 months | 482 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+2.3%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 4,168 lawyers a year | 2025 | Texas state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record tx-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 71 counties | 2026-Q1 | Texas state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 51 counties | 2026-Q1 | Texas state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 3.1 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | Texas state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 13,172 firms | 2022 | Texas state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-tx-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 29,421,960,000 US dollars | 2022 | Texas state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-tx-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 5.07 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | Texas state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 25,541 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | Texas state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 16,079 establishments | 2026-Q1 | Texas state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-48 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 56,580 jobs | May 2025 | Texas state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:TX:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 154,200 US dollars a year | May 2025 | Texas state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:TX:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in Texas with the most bankruptcy cases filed, the ten with the most per private law office. Both counts are shown with their records.
| County | Demand | Law offices | Per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaufman County, TX | 582 record bankruptcy-48257 | 33 record law-offices-48257 | 17.64 |
| Johnson County, TX | 485 record bankruptcy-48251 | 40 record law-offices-48251 | 12.13 |
| Ellis County, TX | 568 record bankruptcy-48139 | 54 record law-offices-48139 | 10.52 |
| Bell County, TX | 670 record bankruptcy-48027 | 64 record law-offices-48027 | 10.47 |
| Rockwall County, TX | 357 record bankruptcy-48397 | 47 record law-offices-48397 | 7.6 |
| Denton County, TX | 1,835 record bankruptcy-48121 | 249 record law-offices-48121 | 7.37 |
| Brazoria County, TX | 601 record bankruptcy-48039 | 98 record law-offices-48039 | 6.13 |
| El Paso County, TX | 1,793 record bankruptcy-48141 | 293 record law-offices-48141 | 6.12 |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 1,272 record bankruptcy-48157 | 220 record law-offices-48157 | 5.78 |
| Galveston County, TX | 499 record bankruptcy-48167 | 91 record law-offices-48167 | 5.48 |
Bankruptcy cases filed (bankruptcy v1.0.0, 12 months ending 2026-09-30) ÷ Private law offices (law-offices v1.0.0, 2026-Q1). ratio = bankruptcy.filings / law-offices.qcew_estabs, rounded to 2 decimals; ranked highest first, among the 25 units with the most demand. Units with zero supply are listed apart (ratio undefined); units without a published value are listed as missing.
Spanish-language demand
People who speak Spanish and speak English less than very well, and the lawyers who speak Spanish, from the Census Bureau survey (with margins of error).
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers who speak Spanish at home (ACS) | 11,205 ±1,085 lawyers | 2020-2024 | Texas state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:TX:lawyers-spanish · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English per Spanish-speaking lawyer | 271 ±26.3 people per lawyer | 2020-2024 | Texas state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:TX:lep-per-spanish-lawyer · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 3,034,861 ±21,917 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Texas state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:TX:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 3,034,861 ±21,342 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | Texas state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-tx · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in Texas have to meet, summarized from the official texts. The full rules, with quotes, are on the state page.
| Topic | Status | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Unless exempt, a lawyer files each ad or solicitation communication with the State Bar's Advertising Review Committee no later than 10 days after dissemination, with a copy, an application and a fee (Rule 7.04(a)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | An ad must publish the name of a lawyer responsible for its content and identify the lawyer's primary practice location (Rule 7.02(a)). An ad that mentions contingent fees must say whether the client pays other expenses such as litigation costs (7.02(c)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | Under Penal Code 38.12(d), a lawyer commits an offense by sending a written communication, or making a solicitation (in person, by phone, by social media direct message or other electronic communication), to someone who has not sought the lawyer's services,… official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A communication may not be false or misleading or substantially likely to create unjustified expectations about results (Rule 7.01(a)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not pay or offer anything of value to a person not licensed to practice law for soliciting or referring prospective clients, except nominal thank-you gifts (Rule 7.03(e)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | One-party consent: a party to a call, or a person with one party’s prior consent, may record it, unless the recording is made to commit an unlawful act (Penal Code §16.02(c)(4)). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | Since September 1, 2025, a text or image message sent to get someone to buy counts as a “telephone solicitation” (SB 140; Business and Commerce Code §302.001). official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Drug and device injury ads (state statute) | P primary source | Tex. Gov't Code §§ 81.151-81.156 (Subchapter J, Deceptive Advertising Practices; S.B. 1189, 86th Leg., 2019) (effective 2019-09-01): Texas covers only television ads that promote legal services or solicit clients. official source · rules v1.3.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23744574 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | Texas: lawyers must file their ads with a bar or court office, after the ad first runs. The standard fee is $100 per ad. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | Lawyers in different firms may split a fee if the split matches the work each does, or if the lawyers assume joint responsibility for the case, and the total fee is not unconscionable or illegal. official source · referral v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23747113 · checked 2026-10-27 |
Prices and pay (national)
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs in legal services (seasonally adjusted) | 1,249 thousand jobs | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CES6054110001:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CPI-U: legal services | 230 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:CUUR0000SEGC01:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| PPI: offices of lawyers | 338 index | 2026-09 | United States United States | legal-prices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854 record legal-prices:PCU541110541110:2026-09 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
What is missing
Datasets linked to this practice that have no figure here, and values the source withholds. We never fill these in.
- findings (demand): the dataset has no records for Texas (it covers other places)
Download and cite
The rows behind this page, with every dataset, version, DOI, record id and check date.
Cite as: Probative Growth, Bankruptcy filings by chapter, court district, state and county, quarterly (U.S. Courts) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952); The new-lawyer pipeline by jurisdiction: bar exam pass rates and new admissions, 2025 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443); CFPB complaints about debt collection, credit reporting and debt management, by state and month v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731); Legal deserts: law offices and lawyers per resident in every U.S. county v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430); Spanish-speaking demand vs Spanish-speaking lawyer supply, by state and metro v1.1.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758); Law firm size, solos and receipts, by state: Census SUSB 2022, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and Economic Census 2022 v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997); Law offices, jobs and pay by county, with solo-practice counts: BLS QCEW, Census CBP and Nonemployer Statistics v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415); Lawyer, paralegal and legal-staff pay by state and metro (BLS OEWS) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840); Legal need by county: who may need a lawyer, from the American Community Survey v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886); Legal-services prices and jobs, monthly (BLS CPI, PPI and CES) v1.0.0 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734854); CC BY 4.0. https://probativegrowth.com/markets/texas/bankruptcy/
Use it in your AI tool
The same answers come from our free MCP server for AI assistants (no account): https://probativegrowth.com/mcp/markets
How this page is built
Each figure is copied from one record of the dataset named with it, joined to this state and practice through the open practice and place crosswalk. Nothing is estimated. Methods, inputs and limits.