Newport News Bankruptcy Attorney — Chapter 7 & 13
Quick Answer
Newport News residents file bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division — 2400 West Avenue. With approximately 545 filings per year, Newport News is the primary jurisdiction of the Newport News Division. Chapter 7 accounts for 69% of filings, reflecting the city’s concentration of wage earners, renters, and military-connected households. Merna Law serves all Newport News cases — phone and Zoom, no office visit required.
By John G. Merna, Esq. | Last Reviewed: June 2026 | The Merna Law Group, P.C.
If you need a Newport News bankruptcy attorney, Merna Law serves the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division. Home to Huntington Ingalls Industries — the world’s largest private shipbuilder — and a major military population connected to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Newport News sees approximately 545 bankruptcy filings per year. Merna Law handles every step remotely by phone and Zoom — the same approach we use for clients in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and throughout the Hampton Roads region.
Chapter 7 — Wipe Out Debt Fast
Eliminate credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans in as little as 90 days. Newport News Chapter 7 filers are discharged at the Newport News Division courthouse — 341 meetings are conducted by phone or video.
Chapter 13 — Save Your Home & Car
Behind on your mortgage or auto loan? A Chapter 13 repayment plan lets Newport News homeowners catch up on arrears over 3–5 years while keeping their property and stopping foreclosure immediately.
Automatic Stay — Stop Collectors Instantly
The moment your case is filed, the automatic stay stops all collection calls, wage garnishments, bank levies, and foreclosures. For Newport News residents facing garnishment from local creditors, the stay takes effect the same day.
Newport News Division Court
Cases are filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA Newport News Division, 2400 West Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607. The 341 meeting of creditors is typically held by phone or video — no courthouse appearance required.
Homestead Exemption — Principal Residence
Virginia protects up to $50,000 in equity in your principal residence from creditors (Va. Code § 34-4). This applies to all householders regardless of age. In addition, you may exempt up to $5,000 in other personal property (or $10,000 if you are age 65 or older), plus $500 per dependent as a wildcard exemption. In Chapter 13, your home equity above this amount is protected as long as your plan pays at least what creditors would receive in a Chapter 7 liquidation.
Vehicle, Tools & Personal Property Exemptions
Virginia protects up to $10,000 in motor vehicle equity (Va. Code § 34-26(8)), up to $10,000 in tools of your trade (§ 34-26(7)), up to $5,000 in household furnishings (§ 34-26(4a)), and up to $1,000 in clothing (§ 34-26(4)). Retirement accounts — 401(k), IRA, pension — are fully exempt under federal and Virginia law. Your Merna Law attorney will apply every available exemption to protect the maximum amount of your property.
Amounts verified June 2026 — Va. Code Title 34. Next CPI-U adjustment: April 1, 2027.
Free Bankruptcy Consultation — Newport News, VA
Phone or Zoom — no office visit required. A licensed Virginia bankruptcy attorney reviews your income, debts, and property at no cost.
How Merna Law Handles Your Newport News Bankruptcy — Step by Step
1
Free Phone Consultation
A licensed Virginia bankruptcy attorney reviews your income, debts, and property by phone. No obligation.
2
Document Collection
Upload documents through our secure client portal. Everything handled remotely — no trips to an office.
3
Petition Preparation
We prepare your complete petition, schedules, and means test. You review and sign electronically.
4
Filing & Automatic Stay
Your petition is filed electronically with the EDVA Newport News Division. The automatic stay takes effect immediately — collectors must stop.
5
341 Meeting by Phone or Zoom
The creditors meeting is conducted by phone or video. Most Newport News meetings last under 10 minutes.
6
Discharge & Fresh Start
Your discharge order is delivered electronically. Case complete — without a single in-person visit.
Phone and Zoom — Everything Remote
No office visit. No commute. Your free consultation, document review, and 341 Meeting are all handled by phone or Zoom. Merna Law has served Virginia clients entirely remotely since 2020 — from your first call to your discharge.
Secure Client Portal
Share documents, sign forms, and track your case status through Merna Law’s encrypted client portal — accessible from any device, any time, from anywhere in Virginia.
About Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city of approximately 185,000 residents situated at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula, bordered by the James River to the south and Hampton Roads harbor to the east. The city’s name is one of the most enigmatic in American geography — most historians trace it to Captain Christopher Newport, who commanded the three ships that carried the first permanent English settlers to Jamestown in 1607, combined with the nautical term for a harbor or haven. The city’s identity has been shaped from its earliest days by the sea.
Newport News as a city was born from a railroad. In the late 1870s, industrialist Collis P. Huntington extended his Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to the tip of the Peninsula, selecting the site as the eastern terminus because its deep-water harbor could accommodate the largest oceangoing vessels. The arrival of the railroad in 1881 triggered explosive growth, and Newport News was incorporated as a town in 1882 and as an independent city in 1896. Huntington’s vision was total: he also founded Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in 1886 — an enterprise that would become the backbone of the city’s economy and one of the most consequential industrial enterprises in American history.
The shipyard — now Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) — is the largest private shipbuilder in the world and Newport News’s single largest employer, with more than 25,000 workers. HII builds every U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, including the Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers, and Virginia-class nuclear submarines. During both World Wars, the Newport News shipyard was among the most strategically vital industrial facilities in the nation, producing warships at a pace that helped determine the outcome of both conflicts. The shipyard’s presence has defined Newport News’s demographics, economy, and culture for over 130 years.
During World War I, the federal government built Hilton Village — the first planned community constructed by the U.S. government — to house shipyard workers flooding into the city. Today it is a National Historic District, prized for its English cottage-style architecture. The broader war effort also brought tremendous growth to Fort Eustis (now part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis), which remains a major Army installation and economic anchor. The military presence in Newport News — active duty, veterans, and defense contractor employees — is a defining feature of the city’s character and economy.
Beyond the shipyard and military, Newport News is home to the Mariners’ Museum and Park — one of the largest maritime museums in the world, containing the recovered remains of the ironclad USS Monitor, the famous Civil War warship. The Virginia Living Museum and Christopher Newport University contribute to the city’s educational and cultural life, while the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in nearby Newport News is one of only 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, conducting cutting-edge nuclear physics research. Ferguson Enterprises, one of the largest plumbing and HVAC distributors in North America, is also headquartered in Newport News.
All bankruptcy cases from the city of Newport News are filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA Newport News Division, 2400 West Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607.
City of Newport News Official Website · Newport News on Wikipedia · U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA
Virginia Chapter 7 Income Limits — Cases Filed On or After April 1, 2026
1 person: $78,491 · 2 people: $101,171 · 3 people: $123,159 · 4 people: $144,826 (+$11,100 per additional person). Source: U.S. Trustee Program. If your income exceeds these limits, you may still qualify through the full means test analysis — Merna Law calculates this at no charge during your free consultation.
Newport News Bankruptcy — Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the bankruptcy court for Newport News cases?
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDVA Newport News Division, 2400 West Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607. The 341 meeting of creditors is conducted by phone or video — no in-person appearance required.
Does Merna Law have an office in Newport News?
Yes — Merna Law has a physical office in Newport News, though all casework is handled remotely by phone and Zoom. You never need to visit an office. We serve clients throughout the Newport News Division including Hampton, Poquoson, York County, and James City County.
Can I stop wage garnishment by filing bankruptcy in Newport News?
Yes. The automatic stay takes effect the moment your case is filed, stopping all wage garnishment immediately. If your employer has already been notified, Merna Law can send a copy of your filing to have the garnishment reversed. Military and defense contractor employees in Newport News frequently face garnishment from unsecured creditors — Chapter 7 eliminates those debts entirely.
How long does Chapter 7 bankruptcy take in Newport News?
Most Newport News Chapter 7 cases are completed in 90–120 days from filing to discharge. The 341 meeting is typically scheduled 3–4 weeks after filing and lasts under 10 minutes by phone. Your discharge is issued roughly 60 days after the 341 meeting if no objections are filed.
What is the means test for Newport News filers?
The means test compares your income to Virginia’s median income for your household size. If your income is below the median, you qualify for Chapter 7 automatically. Newport News residents with irregular income — common among shipyard contract workers and gig economy workers — may qualify even if they initially appear to be above the threshold. Merna Law reviews your means test during your free consultation.
Can I keep my home and car if I file bankruptcy in Newport News?
In most cases, yes. Virginia’s homestead exemption protects up to $50,000 in home equity (Va. Code § 34-4), and the vehicle exemption covers up to $10,000 in equity (§ 34-26(8)). Chapter 13 allows you to catch up on missed mortgage payments over 3–5 years while keeping your property. Chapter 7 filers who are current on payments can often reaffirm their mortgage and auto loans and keep both. Merna Law reviews your specific situation during your free consultation.
Ready to File Bankruptcy in Newport News?
Call us or schedule online — your free consultation is the first step to a fresh financial start. No office visit required.
