Do I have to go to court if I file for bankruptcy?

Unless there are issues that cannot be resolved among you and your creditors, you will probably not need to go to court. You are required to attend one meeting, but it's not held in a courtroom and a judge will not preside (in fact, the judge is prohibited from being there). That meeting usually takes place between 20-40 days after your bankruptcy filing date. If you have filed under chapter 13, you will be required to attend an additional hearing to confirm your payment plan, usually about a month after the meeting of the creditors.