Year-by-year breakdown of Chapter 13 bankruptcy outcomes in the Northern District of Georgia. All data from the Federal Judicial Center Integrated Database.
| Year | Cases Filed | Dismissal Rate | Prior Filer Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 17,447 | 72.5% | 38.8% | |
| 2009 | 18,165 | 67.4% | 38.3% | -5.1 |
| 2010 | 19,707 | 66.0% | 37.0% | -1.4 |
| 2011 | 21,974 | 69.5% | 40.0% | +3.5 |
| 2012 | 19,957 | 69.3% | 43.0% | -0.2 |
| 2013 | 17,215 | 71.3% | 46.3% | +2.0 |
| 2014 | 15,087 | 71.7% | 46.7% | +0.4 |
| 2015 | 15,595 | 74.0% | 48.7% | +2.3 |
| 2016 | 15,381 | 74.8% | 49.0% | +0.8 |
| 2017 | 14,872 | 72.4% | 49.7% | -2.4 |
| 2018 | 14,824 | 72.0% | 49.6% | -0.4 |
| 2019 | 14,434 | 70.6% | 48.5% | -1.4 |
| 2020* | 9,535 | 69.0% | 49.5% | -1.6 |
| 2021* | 5,837 | 79.3% | 48.3% | +10.3 |
| 2022* | 7,449 | 92.3% | 49.3% | +13.0 |
| 2023* | 8,968 | 97.3% | 48.0% | +5.0 |
| 2024* | 9,122 | 99.0% | 46.2% | +1.7 |
* Preliminary -- Chapter 13 plans run 3-5 years, so successful plans filed in these years are still active. Only early dismissals are reflected.
NDGA's raw case volume is enormous:
At 2024 rates, roughly 9,030 of those 9,122 cases will end in dismissal. Fewer than 100 filers per year are now receiving a discharge in this district.
NDGA has the highest sustained prior filer rate of any major district. Key patterns:
An estimated 7,815 cases may have violated 1328(f) time bars -- the highest estimated violation count of any district studied.
Georgia's three districts show significant variation:
The Atlanta district is dramatically worse than the rest of the state. Middle and Southern Georgia have dismissal rates in the 50% range -- still high, but far below NDGA's 70.8% overall and 99.0% current rate.