Where Can I Get Free Bankruptcy Counselling?
If you’re curious about declaring bankruptcy and want to look into free bankruptcy counselling, there are many ways to fix your financial problems. A certified Credit Counsellor is a great way to get more information and consider alternatives to bankruptcy you might not know about.
As a rule of thumb, bankruptcy is a last resort option for dealing with debt because the process, fees, and long-term repercussions affect your financial and personal life in subsequent years. There are other ways to manage your debts, including through various kinds of debt consolidation for unsecured debts, e.g. a Consumer Proposal or debt management program, and debt settlement.
Here’s what you need to know about where to get free bankruptcy counselling and how free, professional insight can help you make an educated decision.
Certified Credit Counsellors Provide Free Credit & Debt Counselling
First and foremost, seeking the help of a certified Credit Counsellor is the best way to get a sound footing on your debts and decipher whether personal bankruptcy is a viable option for you. By choosing a not-for-profit credit counselling service, such as the Credit Counselling Society (CCS), you can meet with a professional in the field who will evaluate your financial situation. Appointments at CCS are free and confidential – there’s no need to feel embarrassed about your situation; our experienced, friendly Counsellors make it their priority to help you without any judgment.
How Credit Counsellors at CCS Can Help
Credit Counsellors at CCS can help you in many ways, but in an initial, free meeting, we simply go over your finances, including your assets and debts, to provide a clear snapshot of where you stand and the various options and solutions that may best suit your needs. If you have questions, your Credit Counsellor is a wealth of information and is happy to answer them.
Your Credit Counsellor will help you create a plan to tackle your debts, consolidate debt, or explain how you can best handle your finances on your own. They’re there to help you understand where your money is going and why you’re in a precarious financial situation. Within a session or two at the most, you’ll be well-equipped to decide which route you’d like to take to deal with your debts.
Licensed Insolvency Trustees Provide Information About Legal Debt Solutions
If you want to file for bankruptcy after carefully studying your options, we can refer you to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (formerly known as a bankruptcy Trustee) to help you with the next steps, beginning with free bankruptcy counselling.
Getting referred to a trustee is a crucial step, especially in a world where there are many get-out-of-debt quickly organizations that may entice you with quick fixes only to leave you suffering with hefty bills, little support, and even more debt.
Licensed Insolvency Trustee are the only people licensed by the Superintendent of Bankruptcy in Canada to carry out Consumer Proposals and bankruptcies. Your Trustee acts as your advisor, guiding you through the process from filing initial paperwork and satisfying ongoing requirements, to obtaining your discharge and ensuring your rights are respected by your creditors.
Akin to the credit counselling consultation, your Trustee will meet with you for a free, initial consultation in which you’ll go over your financial situation, taking into account your debts and how you’d like to reshape your financial future.
With their counsel, you’ll decide on next steps regarding bankruptcy or a Proposal. (A Consumer Proposal is a legal agreement between you and your creditors in which you promise to repay part of the debt you owe via monthly payments. It’s an avenue considered by some consumers who can’t afford to pay back their whole debts – with or without interest – and don’t want to declare bankruptcy.) If you decide to go bankrupt, your Trustee will explain the whole bankruptcy process for you, including how the bankruptcy-specific credit counselling appointments work.
Get Help Dealing with Credit Card Debt & Collection Agencies to Keep Bankruptcy Counselling at Bay
One reason many people think about going bankrupt is because collection agencies are calling about past due credit cards. Does this sound familiar? You might even be worried about your credit rating. When keeping up with regular payments for your debts and bills becomes a problem, your credit rating will be negatively impacted, but there are many ways to stop the slide. Contact us now by phone, email, or anonymous online chat to find out about bankruptcy, counselling for your finances, and all there is to know about options and solutions for dealing with debt in Canada. With a free appointment, you’ve got nothing to lose but your debt.
Last Updated on December 12, 2024
I claimed bankruptcy back in 2018.
Honestly I do not remember anywhere in the paperwork I filled where it stated I must enclose property in another country.
I don’t remember my trustee asking me this question.
I own property in another country during my bankruptcy which I did not claim.
My ex husband who was in bankruptcy at the same because we got divorced because he was having an affair. At the end of three years he lost everything home, company, financial distress. He is threatened to report to the bankruptcy commission for fraud.
I would like to know how to solve this matter as quickly as possible but I must tell you I have no money to pay for a bankruptcy lawyer or to repay him or another creditor.
You must be able to maintain a place to live even if it’s outside of Canada. I can’t afford to live in Canada, housing is much cheaper where I bought and I would like to know what is the process of clearing up this matter. I don’t understand how it’s determined how much of house value is exempt from bankruptcy.
I would truly appreciate your response to this horrible situation my ex has put me.
I know he received a small inheritance and owns a property in Nova Scotia.
Thank you and will look forward to your assistance regarding this issue
Hi Rosemary, We would suggest that you contact the bankruptcy trustee that you originally worked with and explain the situation. He or she will then be able to advise you of options that may be available to you. This situation is outside of our expertise, but we do know that sometimes – depending on the situation – it may not be worthwhile for a bankruptcy trustee to bother with the hassle and expense of selling a foreign property. At the time of your bankruptcy, if you didn’t have much equity in the property, there were other owners, or selling the property would take too long or involve too much expense, the trustee could determine that selling the property isn’t the best option. There is also the chance that you may be able to keep the house by paying the creditors for whatever amount of equity you had in the home at the time of the bankruptcy. Another question is whether you ever plan to live in Canada again? If you don’t, then no one in Canada can force you to sell your home. We cannot advise you on any of these matters as we are not licensed insolvency trustees nor are we lawyers who are qualified to comment on such matters. So please do not take any of this as advice. Contact the bankruptcy trustee who took care of your bankruptcy and have a discussion with him or her about all this and see what they suggest. They are the only ones who are qualified to advise you on this.