Market data
Bankruptcy in West Virginia: market data
What public records say about the market for bankruptcy in West Virginia: 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 | 70 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | West Virginia state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 343 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | West Virginia state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 1,268 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | West Virginia state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 1,642 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | West Virginia state | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints | 13 complaints, 12 months | 12 months from 2025-10-01 | West Virginia state | consumer-complaints v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23733731 record cfpb-wv-debt-management · status P · checked 2026-10-27 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 43 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 250 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 654 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 926 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Northern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-n · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Business bankruptcy cases | 36 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases | 145 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases | 869 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-s · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Bankruptcy cases filed | 1,024 cases, 12 months | 12 months ending 2026-09-30 | Southern District of West Virginia federal district | bankruptcy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739952 record bankruptcy-wv-s · 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 West Virginia · record bankruptcy-54 | 96 2026-06-30 | 70 2026-09-30 | falling (-27.1%) |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases West Virginia · record bankruptcy-54 | 327 2026-06-30 | 343 2026-09-30 | rising (+4.9%) |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases West Virginia · record bankruptcy-54 | 1,266 2026-06-30 | 1,268 2026-09-30 | rising (+0.2%) |
| Bankruptcy cases filed West Virginia · record bankruptcy-54 | 1,646 2026-06-30 | 1,642 2026-09-30 | falling (-0.2%) |
| CFPB debt or credit management complaints West Virginia · record cfpb-wv-debt-management | 5 prior 12 months | 13 12 months from 2025-10-01 | rising (+160%) |
Lawyer supply
How many law offices and lawyers the federal statistics count here.
| Measure | Value | Period | Place | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawyers admitted | 205 lawyers a year | 2025 | West Virginia state | bar-pipeline v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721443 record wv-bar-pipeline · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties under 1 law office per 10,000 residents | 3 counties | 2026-Q1 | West Virginia state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Counties with no law office | 2 counties | 2026-Q1 | West Virginia state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Residents living in those low-office counties | 1.7 percent of residents | 2026-Q1 | West Virginia state | deserts v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721430 record deserts-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Employer law firms | 712 firms | 2022 | West Virginia state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-wv-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Receipts of employer law firms | 965,097,000 US dollars | 2022 | West Virginia state | law-firm-economy v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23739997 record lfe-wv-all · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Law offices per 10,000 residents | 5.11 per 10,000 residents | 2026-Q1 | West Virginia state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Self-employed lawyers (nonemployer firms) | 950 firms | latest Nonemployer Statistics year | West Virginia state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Private law offices | 902 establishments | 2026-Q1 | West Virginia state | law-offices v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721415 record law-offices-54 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Lawyers employed (wage-earning, BLS OEWS) | 2,440 jobs | May 2025 | West Virginia state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:WV:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Median annual wage of employed lawyers | 102,420 US dollars a year | May 2025 | West Virginia state | lawyer-wages v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23734840 record lawyer-wages:WV:231011:2025 · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Counties with the most demand per law office
Of the 25 counties in West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, WV | 61 record bankruptcy-54099 | 6 record law-offices-54099 | 10.17 |
| Lincoln County, WV | 25 record bankruptcy-54043 | 3 record law-offices-54043 | 8.33 |
| Mason County, WV | 24 record bankruptcy-54053 | 4 record law-offices-54053 | 6 |
| Hampshire County, WV | 23 record bankruptcy-54027 | 5 record law-offices-54027 | 4.6 |
| Berkeley County, WV | 218 record bankruptcy-54003 | 54 record law-offices-54003 | 4.04 |
| Logan County, WV | 39 record bankruptcy-54045 | 10 record law-offices-54045 | 3.9 |
| Preston County, WV | 24 record bankruptcy-54077 | 7 record law-offices-54077 | 3.43 |
| Marion County, WV | 58 record bankruptcy-54049 | 19 record law-offices-54049 | 3.05 |
| Wyoming County, WV | 21 record bankruptcy-54109 | 7 record law-offices-54109 | 3 |
| Jackson County, WV | 22 record bankruptcy-54035 | 8 record law-offices-54035 | 2.75 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish speakers with limited English (ACS) | 5,609 ±654 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | West Virginia state | language v1.1.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23656758 record language:state:WV:spanish-lep · status P · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Spanish speakers with limited English | 5,609 ±626 people age 5+ | 2020-2024 | West Virginia state | legal-need v1.0.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23741886 record legal-need-wv · status P · checked 2026-10-28 |
Ad rules that apply
The rules a law firm's ads in West Virginia 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 | None. Rule 7.2 lets a lawyer advertise by any written, recorded or electronic communication, subject to Rules 7.1 and 7.3, and sets no filing, pre-approval or copy-keeping step. Rule 7.3 sets none for targeted solicitations either. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Required content | P primary source | Every ad must include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content (7.2(c)). A written, recorded or electronic solicitation to a person known to need legal services in a matter carries the words "advertising… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Waiting periods for contact | P primary source | The rules set no waiting period before contact with an accident or injury victim. Targeted written or electronic solicitation is barred only if the person has said not to, or the solicitation involves coercion, duress or harassment (7.3(b)). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Claims and results | P primary source | A communication may not be false or misleading, or omit a fact needed to keep it from misleading (7.1). Results may mislead if they create an unjustified expectation of the same outcome, and an unsubstantiated comparison may mislead (7.1 cmt. [3]). official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | A lawyer may not give anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services, except ad costs, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service, a practice sale, and non-exclusive reciprocal referrals with… official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Call recording | P primary source | A person who is a party to a call, or when one party has given prior consent, may record it, unless the purpose is to commit a crime or tort. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Texting | P primary source | A consumer can sue a telemarketer that breaks the abusive-practices rules in § 46A-6F-601 (including calling after a do-not-call request and calling outside set hours) for actual damages plus a $100 to $3,000 penalty. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Drug and device injury ads (state statute) | P primary source | W. Va. Code §§ 47-28-1 to 47-28-5 (Prevention of Deceptive Lawsuit Advertising and Solicitation Practices Regarding the Use of Medications Act; 2020 S.B. official source · rules v1.4.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23750572 · checked 2026-10-28 |
| Ad filing or review | P primary source | West Virginia: no filing or review of lawyer ads is required. official source · filing v1.2.0 doi:10.5281/zenodo.23721409 · checked 2026-10-25 |
| Paying for referrals | P primary source | The rule has no paragraph on splitting fees with lawyers in other firms; comment [5] says a fee may be divided on a referral if the client agrees to the referral. 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 |
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/west-virginia/bankruptcy/
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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.