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State risk detail

Legal and collection risk in District of Columbia

Legal and collection risk uses civil court filings per capita and caseload trends to capture the legal environment. Higher civil filing rates can signal more collection activity and a more intense enforcement climate.

Risk score

31

/ 100

Relative score based on currently available metrics.

Risk metrics

  • Civil filings per 100k residents4694.6
  • Civil filings trend (YoY)-1.5%
  • Bankruptcy filings per 100k residents182.9

Data status: Available

Scope: State baseline | Source: U.S. Courts F-5A June 30, 2026 | 2026

View data freshness →

Top drivers in this score

  • Civil filings per 100k residents

    4694.6

    Risk pressure percentile: 64

  • Bankruptcy filings per 100k residents

    182.9

    Risk pressure percentile: 18

  • Civil filings trend (YoY)

    -1.5%

    Risk pressure percentile: 10

How this compares

Relative risk score30.7
Median (states)50.0
Delta vs median-19.3

Approximate percentile: 31 of 100

Coverage and confidence

Scope usedState baseline
Metric coverage3/3
ConfidenceBaseline confidence

City-level metrics were unavailable, so this score falls back to state baseline data.

Why it matters

In District of Columbia, More filings can translate into more lawsuits, judgments, and collection pressure on households.

What we measure

  • Civil court filings per 100k residents
  • Civil filings trend (YoY)
  • Bankruptcy filings per 100k residents

Key sources

  • National Center for State Courts (trial civil caseload)
  • U.S. Courts bankruptcy filing tables

Common questions

Do civil filings equal debt collection lawsuits?

Not always. Civil filings include multiple case types, but higher rates often align with more collection activity.

Why use per-capita filing rates?

It normalizes court activity so locations can be compared fairly regardless of population size.

Why include bankruptcy filing rates?

Bankruptcy filings are not the same as collection lawsuits, but they add a county-backed signal for severe financial distress in the legal system.