Debt options review (example reviews)
A full look at what is owed, your income and what you own, ending with a written summary of the routes open to you.
Reviewfrom $250
Debt is a problem to solve, not a verdict on you
Fresh Ledger advises people and companies who owe more than they can repay: on the choices open to them, on filings when one is right, and on what to expect at a meeting of creditors. We explain every route plainly, including those that need no lawyer, and we never promise that debts will be written off.
30 minutesfirst call, no fee
In writingyour options after we meet
People and companiesadvised separately
Bring the letters, opened or not
Most people arrive with a pile they have been avoiding. That is normal, and it is exactly what we need to see.
- Final demands
- Court claim forms
- Enforcement agent letters
- Tax arrears
- Rent or mortgage arrears
- Overdue supplier invoices
- Personal guarantees
- Unpaid wages owed to staff
- Loan and card statements
Please keep the originals until we meet. Bring them in, or hold them up to the camera on a video call, and we will tell you which ones carry a deadline.
The main routes, side by side
A general picture only. Each route has a different name, cost and set of consequences depending on the country, and some debts are not affected by any of them.
| Route | Who it may suit | What it usually involves | Worth weighing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informal arrangement | People with steady income and a few creditors | Agreeing lower payments directly with each creditor | Creditors can withdraw, and interest may continue |
| Formal repayment plan | People who can pay something each month | A binding plan over a set period, approved by creditors or a court | Fees, a fixed term and, in some countries, a public record |
| Personal bankruptcy | People with no realistic way to repay | An official process that deals with assets and most debts | Possible loss of assets, restrictions for a time, and some debts survive |
| Company rescue | Viable companies with short term cash problems | A restructuring proposal that creditors vote on | Directors' duties shift towards the creditors |
| Closing a company | Companies that cannot carry on | An appointed office holder sells assets and pays creditors in order | The directors' conduct is reviewed |
No judgement, and no promises we cannot keep
Debt usually builds through ordinary events: a job lost, an illness, a customer who never paid, a business that needed one more season. Nobody here will ask you to justify how it happened.
What we will do is look at the whole picture and tell you which routes exist where you live, and what each would cost you in money and otherwise. Sometimes the best route needs no lawyer at all, and when that is true we say so.
- Plain words, never jargon
- Your options in writing after the first meeting
- Fees quoted before any filing
- Directors advised apart from their company
Help for people, sole traders and companies
Fixed fees where the work is predictable, quoted in writing first. Court and official filing fees are separate and set by each country.
Personal bankruptcy filing
Preparing the application and the statement of your finances, then staying with you until the process ends.
Filingfrom $1,600
Repayment plan proposals
A proposal creditors can follow, drafted with you and negotiated through to the vote.
Proposalfrom $1,900
Company directors
What your duties are once a company may be insolvent, and what to do, and not do, this week.
Advice sessionfrom $400
Creditor meetings
Preparing you for the meeting, attending beside you and fielding the questions you would rather not face alone.
Attendancefrom $500
When you are the one owed
For businesses whose customer has become insolvent: lodging the claim and following the process.
Claimfrom $300
How a first month with us usually runs
A first call
Thirty minutes at no charge, to hear what is happening and spot anything urgent.
The paperwork
We go through the letters, statements and figures together, at your pace.
Your options in writing
Within five working days, a letter setting out each route, its costs and its effects.
Your decision
You choose, or take time to think. Waiting a little is sometimes the right choice too.
Filing and meetings
If a formal route is right, we prepare the filing and stay beside you at any creditors' meeting.
Where the conversations happen
What clients told us afterwards (example reviews)
Two years of unopened post went through, envelope by envelope, without a single raised eyebrow. The options letter made the choice clear, and the choice stayed ours.
As a director, the advice on what not to do that week mattered as much as anything after it. Straight answers, written down, with fees agreed first.
The creditors' meeting felt far less frightening with someone beside us who had explained every likely question in advance.
Things people ask on the first call
Will my debts be written off?
Nobody can promise that before looking at your situation. Some routes can end liability for many debts, others reduce or reschedule them, and some kinds of debt usually survive every route. We tell you which applies to you, in writing.
Is the family home at risk?
It depends on the country, the route and what you own. Some routes protect a home and others may not, and we explain this before you choose anything.
Will speaking to you affect my credit record?
Asking for advice does not usually appear on a credit record. Formal routes often do, for a period set by local rules, and we explain that for each option.
How do people already in debt pay your fees?
We quote before any work, keep the first call at no charge and, where we can, spread fees over several months. If a non profit advice service suits you better, we will say so.
Can a director and the company both get advice?
Yes, but separately, because their interests can differ. We tell you if one of them needs another firm.
Is this website legal or financial advice?
No. It is general information. Insolvency law, fees and the people permitted to act for you vary by country, and advice begins once we agree in writing to act.
Ask for a first call
Tell us a little and we will call or email within one working day, at the time you choose. You do not need exact figures yet.
Account numbers and passwords never belong in this form, and we will not ask for them by email.
Find Fresh Ledger
Write or call
A quiet office above a bookshop near the market square, with video meetings for anyone who prefers them
Office hours
| Monday to Thursday | 09:00 to 18:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 to 16:00 |
| Saturday | Video calls, by arrangement |
| Sunday | Closed |
If a deadline is close
Tell us the date when you call. Many deadlines can be dealt with if we hear about them early, so please do not wait until the letter feels less frightening.