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<header>
<h1>329(b) Motion - Fee Review and Disgorgement</h1>
<p class="subtitle">How to request a court review of attorney fees and seek disgorgement of any excessive compensation.</p>
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<main id="main-content">
<nav aria-label="Breadcrumb" class="breadcrumb-nav"><a href="https://1328f.org">Home</a><span class="separator">›</span><a href="https://section329.org">Section 329 Fee Disgorgement</a><span class="separator">›</span><span>329(b) Motion - Fee Review and Disgorgement</span></nav>
<div class="content-section">
<h2>What Is a 329(b) Motion?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/329#b_0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Section 329(b)</a> gives the bankruptcy court the power to review any compensation paid to the debtor's attorney and to order return of excessive amounts. A 329(b) motion is the formal mechanism for requesting this review.</p>
<div class="statute-box"><p><strong>11 U.S.C. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/329#b_0" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Section 329(b)</a>:</strong> "If such compensation exceeds the reasonable value of any such services, the court may cancel any such agreement, or order the return of any such payment, to the extent excessive, to - (1) the estate, if the property would have been property of the estate; or (2) the entity that made such payment."</p></div>
</div>
<div class="content-section">
<h2>Who Has Standing</h2>
<p>Standing to request fee review under 329(b) is intentionally broad:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The debtor</strong> - The most common movant. The debtor who paid the fees can request review at any time during the case</li>
<li><strong>The case trustee</strong> - In <a href="https://whatischapter7.com/" title="Chapter 7">Chapter 7</a>, the trustee can challenge fees that depleted the estate</li>
<li><strong>The U.S. Trustee</strong> - The UST actively monitors fee practices and can file motions sua sponte</li>
<li><strong>Any creditor</strong> - Creditors have standing because excessive fees reduce the pool available for distribution</li>
<li><strong>The court itself</strong> - The court can raise fee issues on its own motion, even without a request from any party</li>
</ul>
<div class="green-box"><p><strong><a href="https://prosebankruptcy.org/" title="pro se">Pro se</a> debtors:</strong> If you are representing yourself, you can file a 329(b) motion against your former attorney. See <a href="https://prosedebtors.org">prosedebtors.org</a> for guidance on <a href="https://prosebankruptcy.org/" title="pro se">pro se</a> filings.</p></div>
</div>
<div class="content-section">
<h2>What the Motion Should Contain</h2>
<p>A 329(b) motion should include:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Identification of the fees at issue</strong> - The amount paid, when paid, and the source</li>
<li><strong>The fee disclosure statement</strong> - Reference the attorney's <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frbp/rule_2016" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Rule 2016(b)</a> disclosure (or note its absence)</li>
<li><strong>Basis for challenge</strong> - Why the fees are excessive. Compare to local norms, identify work not performed, point to disclosure failures</li>
<li><strong>Evidence</strong> - Receipts, retainer agreements, correspondence about fees, billing records if available</li>
<li><strong>Relief requested</strong> - Specific dollar amount to be disgorged, or complete disgorgement if disclosure was deficient</li>
</ol>
<p>The motion is filed with the bankruptcy court and served on the attorney. The court will typically schedule a hearing.</p>
</div>
<div class="content-section">
<h2>What to Expect at the Hearing</h2>
<p>At the hearing, the <strong>burden shifts to the attorney</strong> to justify the fees. The attorney must demonstrate:</p>
<ul>
<li>The services were actually performed</li>
<li>The fees are consistent with local norms</li>
<li>The work was necessary and beneficial</li>
<li>Full disclosure was made</li>
</ul>
<p>If the court finds fees excessive, it will order disgorgement - either to the estate (if the fees would have been estate property) or to the entity that paid (typically the debtor).</p>
<div class="warning-box"><p><strong>Timing:</strong> 329(b) motions can be filed at any time during the case. Some courts have allowed post-discharge fee challenges, though this varies by circuit. File promptly to preserve your rights.</p></div>
</div>
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<p style="color:#f0f6fc;font-weight:600;margin-bottom:0.5rem">Related Resources</p>
<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.9rem;margin-bottom:0.25rem"><a href="https://section329.org/fee-disclosure.html" style="color:#58a6ff">section329.org - Fee disclosure requirements</a></p>
<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.9rem;margin-bottom:0"><a href="https://prosedebtors.org" style="color:#58a6ff">prosedebtors.org - Pro se filing guidance</a></p>
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<li><a href="https://openbankruptcyproject.org" style="color:#58a6ff;text-decoration:none">Open Bankruptcy Project</a></li>
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<p style="color:#f0f6fc;font-weight:600;font-size:1.05rem;margin:0 0 0.75rem 0">Further Reading & Resources</p>
<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.85rem;margin:0 0 1rem 0">Authority sources for deeper research on bankruptcy trustees and the <a href="https://341meeting.org" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="341 Meeting of Creditors - Open Bankruptcy Project">341 meeting</a>:</p>
<ul style="list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0">
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/341" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">11 U.S.C. Section 341</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">Cornell LII - meeting of creditors</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/329" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">11 U.S.C. Section 329</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">Cornell LII - attorney fee review</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.justice.gov/ust" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">U.S. Trustee Program</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">DOJ bankruptcy oversight</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Bankruptcy Basics</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">USCourts.gov</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-bankruptcy-en-1935/" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">CFPB: What Is Bankruptcy?</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">Consumer guide</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://www.lawhelp.org/" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Find Free Legal Aid</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">LSC legal aid finder</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom:0.5rem"><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22chapter+7+trustee%22+%22341+meeting%22+bankruptcy" rel="noopener" style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.9rem;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">Trustee Research</a><br/><span style="color:#7d8590;font-size:0.8rem">Google Scholar</span></li>
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<p style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.8rem;margin:0.5rem 0 0 0">bankruptcycost.com →</p>
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<p style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.8rem;margin:0.5rem 0 0 0">bankruptcycost.org →</p>
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<p style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.8rem;margin:0.5rem 0 0 0">bankruptcymalpractice.org →</p>
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<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.85rem;margin:0;line-height:1.4">Full cost breakdown for Chapter 7 and 13</p>
<p style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:0.8rem;margin:0.5rem 0 0 0">howmuchdoesbankruptcycost.com →</p>
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<p style="color:#f0f6fc;font-size:1.1rem;font-weight:600;margin-bottom:0.25rem">PACER cases made free through RECAP: <span id="recap-count" style="color:#58a6ff">0</span> of 37.9 million</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0.25rem"><span style="color:#58a6ff;font-size:1.2rem;font-weight:700">$0</span> <span style="color:#9eaab6">of</span> <span style="color:#f0f6fc;font-size:1.2rem;font-weight:700">$5,000</span> <span style="color:#9eaab6">Q1 PACER research goal</span></p>
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<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.8rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;margin-bottom:0.25rem">Federal Rules Committee</p>
<p style="color:#e6edf3;font-size:0.95rem;margin-bottom:0.25rem">This research supports two accepted suggestions to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules: <a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/records-rules-committees/suggestions/dan-brown-26-bk-3" style="color:#58a6ff">Suggestions 26-BK-3 and 26-BK-5</a> and <a href="https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/records-rules-committees/suggestions/dan-brown-26-bk-5" style="color:#58a6ff">Suggestion 26-BK-5</a></p>
<p style="color:#9eaab6;font-size:0.8rem;margin:0">Proposing automated <a href="https://section1328.org" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Section 1328 Discharge - Open Bankruptcy Project">Section 1328</a>(f) <a href="https://dischargebar.org" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Bankruptcy Discharge Bar - Open Bankruptcy Project">discharge bar</a> screening and <a href="https://openbankruptcyproject.org/rule-9037/" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Rule 9037 SSN Redaction - Open Bankruptcy Project">Rule 9037</a> SSN redaction in federal bankruptcy courts</p>
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