ComputerHunter.org

 

Bankruptcy - The Easy Option?


Incredibly, since the changes in the bankruptcy law in April 2004, debtors are more likely to petition for their own bankruptcy rather than their creditors! You would think that most people who have been threatened with the prospect of being made Bankrupt would be riddled with fear of the possibility. It is more widely referred to as the "Big B" rather than the dreaded word itself. However, is this a thing of the past? Since the changes in The Enterprise Act 2002 took place in April 2004 it would appear a lot more people are inclined to petition for their own bankruptcy as a solution to their debt problems.

It appears that more people are choosing to go for Bankruptcy as they think that within one year of a Bankruptcy order being made, they could be debt free. Unfortunately, things might not be as simple as that and it would be wise to find out what options are available before taking the plunge.

In some circumstances, Bankruptcy is the best option, but that is only some circumstances, not all. Even in Bankruptcy, you are still required to make payments from your income for up to three years, if you have a reasonable surplus. The Official Receiver (OR) also has the period of three years (not one year) to stake his claim on your residential home and if there is any equity in your property within that time period, the Official Receiver is likely to claim it.

Considering Bankruptcy?

For some people, Bankruptcy really is the only way out. There are numerous reasons why people find themselves in this situation. If you know you are unable to repay your creditors; you have no assets and there is no prospect of you making reasonable offers of repayment to your creditors, then petitioning for Bankruptcy could be right for you.

What Happens when a Petition is made?

Petition for Bankruptcy is made in one of two ways. Either you will make a petition yourself at a cost of £450, or your creditor will make a petition against you. If a creditor decides to make a petition for Bankruptcy, they would be responsible for showing that you either could not or would not repay the debt owed to them. Unless the petition was significantly disputed, it is likely that a Bankruptcy Order will be made.

Before the legislation changes in April 2004, if a Court believed that you could afford to make reasonable offers of repayments to your creditors, an Insolvency Practitioner would be appointed to look into your affairs and make a report to see if you were willing to make proposals to repay your debt. Your creditors would then be requested to consider your proposals. This has now changed?

If you make a petition for Bankruptcy, the Court will assume you have taken advice and you know you cannot repay your creditors. Therefore, a Bankruptcy order will be made. However, once the order has been made, an Official Receiver will then look into your state of affairs, and if the Official Receiver believes you do have the facility to make reasonable offers of repayment, they may refer you for a Fast Track IVA.

The cost

In order for you to petition for your own bankruptcy, it will not only cost you £450, but, the process will take up a lot of your time and possibly cause you a great deal of stress. Even after the bankruptcy order has been made the Official Receiver (OR) could decide that a Fast Track IVA would be more suitable. If that happens you have basically lost £450 and caused yourself a lot of unnecessary stress.

So what should you do?

Before petitioning for your own bankruptcy, you should get an assessment of your financial situation. It is definitely advisable to get an assessment done before making a petition rather than an Official Receiver making the assessment after a Bankruptcy Order had been made. Companies such as FCL Debt Clinic can offer you this assessment with no charge! You will be informed of all options that are available and if a more suitable route can be taken in order to avoid the implications of Bankruptcy, this will be advised as another way to resolve your situation.

Nicola Bullimore has been working with people to resolve debt problems for a number of years. For more information regarding debt issues, please visit Debt Questions website.







Top Stories - Google News

Reuters

Democrats Struggle to Finish Health Bill
New York Times
WASHINGTON — House and Senate Democratic leaders struggled Thursday to stitch together pieces of a final health care bill as rank-and-file Democrats demanded more information about the contents of the bill and ...
Democrats seek healthcare consensusLos Angeles Times
Student loan overhaul seems likely to join Senate health-care billWashington Post
Dems Dealt Blow on Health Care ReconciliationCBS News
FOXNews -Wall Street Journal -Right Pundits
all 3,529 news articles »


Daily Mail

'American Idol' names its season 9 Top 12: Did voters get it right?*
Entertainment Weekly
Aaaaand we're on to the finals! After tens of thousands of auditioners, 20 individual episodes, and a glory note from Jermayyy-eee-aay-eee-aay-eee-uhh-nnn-uh Sellers that lasted the entire month of February, American Idol's troubling ...
Crystal and Michael are in, so are Aaron and Lacey. So who's out?USA Today
The NGH Report – American Idol 9's Top 8 Guys: “Kara's Your Binkyâ€Foxes on Idol
'American Idol's Top 8 male semifinalists take to the stage liveReality TV World
E! Online (blog) -MTV.com -The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
all 955 news articles »


Daily Mail

Obama picks charities to which he'll donate Nobel prize cash award
Washington Post
Three months after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama announced Thursday the 10 charities that will benefit from his $1.4 million cash award. In a statement issued by the White House, Obama said: "These organizations do ...
Obama Lists Who Will Get Prize Money From NobelNew York Times
Obama gives away $1.4M Nobel prizeThe Associated Press
Internet nominated for 2010 Nobel Peace Prizemsnbc.com
Voice of America -Reuters -BBC News
all 612 news articles »


Globe and Mail

Aftershocks a reality check for Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
Washington Post
Chile begins to recover from the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country early Saturday, Feb. 27, and caused a tsunami that damaged the country's coastal region and put other countries throughout the Pacific on alert. ...
Strong quakes torment Chile as president sworn inThe Associated Press
Chile's president assumes power in austere, post-quake ceremonyXinhua
Chile lifts tsunami alert on coast after tremorsReuters
Times Online -The Guardian -AFP
all 1,726 news articles »


The Guardian

US gave Israel green light for East Jerusalem construction
Ha'aretz
The apology offered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Eli Yishai recalls the joke about the servant who pinched the king's bottom. En route to the gallows, the servant apologized: He ...
Biden wants direct talks by summerJerusalem Post
US urges 'prompt' Middle East talksAljazeera.net
Biden leaves Israel with key issues muddledMinneapolis Star Tribune
Reuters -Xinhua -Ha'aretz
all 1,328 news articles »

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base