Riverside and San Bernardino counties both file in the Riverside Division. Together they cover more territory than several states, stretching from the Los Angeles County line to the Arizona and Nevada borders.
That geography used to be the hardest practical problem in this division. Somebody in Needles or Blythe faced a drive of several hours each way to answer seven questions under oath. Zoom meetings fixed that in 2024.
Who files here
Residents of Riverside County and San Bernardino County. Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Victorville, Hesperia, Palm Springs, Indio, and everything out into the desert.
Two counties, one division, and an area that includes both dense suburbs and communities hours from anything.
What the caseload reflects
The Inland Empire consumer docket has its own shape, and it is different from the coastal divisions.
- Long commutes mean vehicle debt is central. Multiple financed cars per household is normal, and so is being upside down on them.
- Medical debt appears frequently and in large amounts.
- Mortgage arrears drive a meaningful share of Chapter 13 filings, since a plan is the standard tool for curing a default over three to five years.
- Household incomes often fall below the California median, which means many filers qualify for Chapter 7 without the long-form means test.
A high volume of straightforward Chapter 7 cases moves through here, and the process for them is about as routine as bankruptcy gets.
Two cars, two problems
When a household has two financed vehicles and both are underwater, the instinct is to keep both because both people drive to work. Run the numbers first. Surrendering the worse of the two and discharging the deficiency, then financing something cheaper after the case, frequently leaves a family several hundred dollars a month better off. It is an uncomfortable conversation and it is often the right one.
The distance problem, largely solved
Since June 2024, section 341 meetings for Chapters 7, 12 and 13 are held by Zoom across the Central District. In no division did that matter more than this one.
A debtor in the high desert who previously lost a workday, a tank of gas and possibly a paycheck to attend a meeting now joins from home. For a household already choosing between the electric bill and groceries, that is not a convenience. It was sometimes the difference between filing and not filing.
“I represented a client in Twentynine Palms whose old car would not reliably make the drive to Riverside. Under the old system, that was a genuine barrier to relief, and it is absurd that it ever was. She did her meeting on a phone at her kitchen table in eleven minutes and got her discharge four months later.”
Naomi Reyes-AshfordFees and procedure
Identical to the rest of the district. Chapter 7 filing fee $338, Chapter 13 filing fee $313, and the Central District RARA no-look attorney fee of $7,000 for Chapter 13, most of which is paid through the plan rather than up front.
The court's filing fee can sometimes be paid in installments, or waived entirely for filers below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Ask about the waiver rather than assuming you do not qualify. In this division, plenty of people do.
Practicing here from Beverly Hills
This office is at 9454 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills with no Inland Empire location. Venue follows where you live, and consultations and 341 meetings both happen on video, so a client in Hesperia goes through the same case as one in Westwood without driving anywhere.
Questions we get asked
Do San Bernardino County cases really go to Riverside?
Yes. Both Riverside and San Bernardino counties are served by the Riverside Division. It is a large area assigned to a single courthouse.
I'm hours from Riverside. Is that a problem?
Much less than it used to be. Consumer 341 meetings are on Zoom district-wide since June 2024. A contested hearing could require an appearance, but most consumer Chapter 7 cases never have one, and your attorney handles court appearances regardless.
Can I get the filing fee waived?
Possibly. A waiver is available for filers whose household income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and who cannot pay in installments. It requires an application filed with the case and a judge's approval.
I'm behind on my mortgage. Which chapter?
Chapter 13 is the tool built for curing mortgage arrears over three to five years while you stay current going forward. Chapter 7 stops a foreclosure temporarily but has no mechanism for catching up. If keeping the house is the goal, the conversation usually starts with Chapter 13.
If you are behind on a mortgage, call your servicer and ask for the exact reinstatement figure and the number of months in arrears. Bring both to a video consultation at (310) 555-0184. Those numbers set the size of a Chapter 13 plan payment.