Rudolph W. Giuliani filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, a day after a federal judge ordered him to start paying the $148 million in damages he owes to two former Georgia election workers for spreading lies that they had tried to steal the 2020 election from Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Giuliani owes millions of dollars in legal fees as well as unpaid state and federal income taxes, according to the filing.

Last week, a jury ordered Mr. Giuliani to pay two former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, $148 million for baseless accusations he had made about them cheating when they were counting votes in Fulton County, Ga., on Nov. 3, 2020.

On Wednesday, the judge overseeing the election worker case, Beryl A. Howell, ordered Mr. Giuliani to start paying the two women immediately out of concerns that he might “conceal his assets” if he were allowed to wait the typical 30 days.

“The filing should be a surprise to no one,” Mr. Giuliani’s political adviser, Ted Goodman, said in a statement. “No person could have reasonably believed that Mayor Rudy Giuliani would be able to pay such a high punitive amount. Chapter 11 will afford Mayor Giuliani the opportunity and time to pursue an appeal, while providing transparency for his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court, to ensure all creditors are treated equally and fairly throughout the process.”