Last bit of advice

finito

I posted some time ago and was in the depths of despair.

Since then I have taken some sort of control of things and things are actually looking up I think.

I was using alcohol as a crutch. Not anymore!!

I was using cocaine to escape everyday life. Not anymore!!

And I was in the depths of depression. Not anymore!! Doc prescribed some anti depressents which really seem to be doing the job!!

Now, to the main reason for this post.

I have totalled up my personal unsecured debt on 16 credit cards and 1 loan. I have a total of just shy of some 150K of personal debt!!!!

I have not taken any personal advice re going bankcrupt, but have decided there is no alternative. The minimum payments alone are over £1000 each month more than I earn. Then there is living on top of that. Including rent, council tax, food, etc etc etc. I see no alternative!?

However. The only advice I sought was to fill in the online forms on the CCCS website which basically just said to tighten my belt and prioritise my creditors. It never really helped me as I just do not have enough money to even stay still with the amount I owe.

Someone said that I cannot go bankcrupt unless I have taken professional advice. Is that the case? And what constitutes professional advice?

I have stopped paying all my creditors and am now in a position to be able to pay the fees for Bankcuptcy. Anyone got any experience of how long I might wait for a court date in London. My understanding is that all London bankcruptcies are dealt with at the High Court on the Strand. Is that the case? If so, do they have a long waiting list for a date?

Many thanks for any help you can provide.

And for anyone looking in and thinking, Is bankcuptcy for me? Take charge of your life and just go for it if there really is no other workable alternative. I feel more positive about life now than I have for some 15 years!!! I hope you will too!!!!

sleeplessnights_2

Hi - I'm a little new to this but I've found the below post which was posted by Pixiepie on the 31/8/07 - I'm not sure if I'm allowed to copy and past in, but it may help you

By Pixiepie - 31/8/07

OK, thought I would write up about my BR experiences for those of you thinking of doing it/doing it in the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

First thing - I would say if you are taking the tube the nearest tube station is Temple, not Chancery Lane like they say on the website. Second - you get X-Rayed and Metal machined as you walk in. I wasn't expecting this and it made me feel a little bit more like a criminal, so now you know if you're going there You are meant to get there between 10am and 11.30am (just turn up no appointment) and I got there at about 10.15am.

The nice people on the front desk tell you where to go - I found this a little confusing and to be honest, found a much simpler way afterwards (go past the reception desk after the scanners until you get to the cafe, turn right 90 degrees and walk straight until you are outside, turn right 90 degrees and walk until you get to the iron gates, go in the door on your left and up the stairs. The first place you need to go is the third door on the right, which will be open, they tell you where to go from there). So take good walking shoes as I now feel like a mountain goat. (or pre book the court helper people who will stop you getting lost like me).

You then go pay your fees a couple of doors down - You don't have to pay the £150 or the £7 in my experience, even though I thought you had to (and one guy going br that day had paid the £150), so you may be going home with some spare cash (hurrah!). You then trek right to the other side of the Courts and speak to a very bored looking youngster, who you give your paperwork to, they quickly go through it and get you to sign and swear you are you. You then get sent away until later. In my case it was 2.30 so I had about 3 hours to kill. There is a very nice pub opposite the courts that I had a nice drink in and rode the tube up and down to Oxford street (where I got 4 free yogurts thanks to muller, very nice indeed) to pass the time. The actual courts themselves though are lovely and I wasted another hour just staring at the arcitecture, it's amazing...a pair of binoculars would have been nice to see all the ceiling detail.

Then I went back to where I had talked to the bored youngster (but one floor down) where we all gathered (you just walk in and take a seat and wait) and then names start being called out (just surnames) and you go and get your stamped BR papers and the map to the OR's office. You then have a race with all the other people going BR that day to the OR's office so you can be seen first - it's next to Companies house near the British Museum, is very easy to find and the staff there are very very very nice. You don't see an actual OR, just a helper, but they are lovely (I think they have been prompted to say 'this is a good fresh start for you' about 20 times during the interview) and they very quickly fo through some paperwork with you and you sign to say you are you again etc. You are then told you'll get a letter in about a week saying if you have to go back for another interview this time with the actual OR, or a telephone interview or nothing thank you very much, we'll speak in a year to discharge you. '

TO be honest I have been really ashamed of going BR for those that don't know my story, but it was a bit of an anticlimax and very very normal for everyone else involved, so there is nothing to worry about. All the people I saw really did think it was a good thing and there was no shame whatsoever, so really do not worry about it.

I hope that helps someone. Here's to the rest of my life and second chances Thank you to all here that have been helpful in the most important to me way by giving their moral support and for all the information too, you are gems.

rog2

finito wrote: »

Someone said that I cannot go bankcrupt unless I have taken professional advice. Is that the case? And what constitutes professional advice?

Not quite true, finito - professional advice is NOT a pre-requisite to bankruptcy.
We tend to reccomend that people take professional advice because we are not qualified advisers, here, and could easily overlook a possible alternative solution.
The decision to petition for your bankruptcy will, at the end of the day, be yours and yours alone. Certainly, after reading your post, it would e a solution that I would seriously consider if I were in the same position as you.
Also, it appears to be standard practise for the judge to ask if you have seriously considered all aspects of bankruptcy and if you have taken advice (sometimes they will use the word professional - in my case the judge just said advice) before declaring you bankrupt. I have never heard of anyone who has been refused bankruptcy on the grounds that he/she has answered no to that question.
As far as I am aware, the High Court, in the Strand, handles the bankruptcy cases for London - I was declared bankrupt there, myself, but it was a 'creditor's petition. For debtor petitions, I understand they operate on a 'no appointment necessary basis' but best give them a ring to confirm.
Good luck - whatever you decide.

fermi

Yep. The question on advice (whether professional is mentioned or not) is nearly always asked to help make sure that you are aware of the full implications of having the BR order made. While not 100% necessary, the judge/court are much more likely to grant the bankruptcy with little fuss if you can say you have sought this sort of advice.

I have heard (somewhere ) of someone being refused by the judge but I think lack of advice was only a contributing factor in that case, where it was clear to the judge the the petitioner had not properly considered what they were doing.

finito

Many thanks for the swift replies.

It looks like the London High Court is just a walk in service then!? Got to say, that does make things a whole lot easier for me. I might even be in a position to "do the deed" this month now. Shortly after pay day.

How many of the one line petitions should I print off before I submit the online copy to the Insolvency Service? I have heard that as many as 3 would be helpful?

Never realised how many phone calls one mobile could take before the battery runs out. It's buzzing like a swarm of killer bees!!! Not answered a single one yet, and the default notices have started to roll in the last week or so.

Looking forward to the first day of the rest of my life!!!!:j :beer:

PixiePie

finito wrote: »

Many thanks for the swift replies.

It looks like the London High Court is just a walk in service then!? Got to say, that does make things a whole lot easier for me. I might even be in a position to "do the deed" this month now. Shortly after pay day.

How many of the one line petitions should I print off before I submit the online copy to the Insolvency Service? I have heard that as many as 3 would be helpful?

If you're going to the Justice Courts in London, I did three copies and they were only interested in one - they stamped this and photocopied it and gave me the original back, so I would say submit one online and take one along with you, but you can always phone them to check what they want on any given day

backontheup

Hi Finito - glad you have taken control!

You only need one copy of the petition and the Royal Courts is a walk-in service. Make sure you get there for 10am on the dot, because the queue for the court cashier gets very long very quickly. I got there for 9.45am because I would rather wait for 15 mins at the head of the queue than 30 mins at the back of the queue.

After you have paid your fees its a quick dash across to the Thomas More Building at the back of the courts, queue there to be sworn in and wait for your appointment with the judge. All done.

Plus, I will say, if you are doing it at the Royal Courts of Justice.....enjoy your day out! Its a fabulous building and lots to have a look around at while you are waiting. I know it sounds very odd, but i made the most of my time there and had a good old nosy around - its a fascinating place. And you will leave it feeling the best you have felt in years. I know I did :-)

madoldbat

Hi finito.
Firstly well done on sorting the big problems.Drink ,drugs and depresion.It takes a lot of strength to deal with one but 3:A

Now your planning to take control over the rest of you problems:T

This can be a wonderful new begining and you will get a great deal of advice and support from this site and others,check femies post in the footnotes.

We were asked if we had taken advice,well we had CAB & CCCS.So we said yes.However dont know how they would check up on this so Im sure when you say you had advice you will be fine.

Good luck and keep posting.