Not sure about using debt management services, but you are worried about personal bankruptcy?

• a lawyer to divorce you,

• sell your house,

• or make a will

• or an accountant to produce annual accounts,

• complete your tax return,

• or advise you on setting up a business.

Do you know what they have in common?

Yes, any competent person can do any of them - especially if they use the Internet to seek help (sorry accountants and solicitors just trying to make a point). However, when it comes to paying for professional debt help, some are disposed to criticise at the very mention of it.

Bear in mind that serious debts can lead to bankruptcy. If you had debts of £18,000 at, say, £700 per month repayment and the debt professional got your payment down to £350 per month, and charged you £50 per month to administer the entire work load, would you see that as scandalous or good value for money?

What will the debt management company do for you?

The debt company controls your debt by:

• Works with you to agree a monthly payment that allows you, and your family, to live a reasonable life,

• Contacting your creditors individually to agree a reasonable repayment structure,

• Deal with correspondence (all you do is send all debt letters to the debt company and they deal with it),

• Logging all your creditors and figures into their debt management software, by experienced staff who administer your payments to the creditors on a monthly basis: no slip ups and exact records maintained of all payments and balances,

• Letters of confirmation sent to all creditors outlining repayment amounts and period,

• Regular statements sent to you,

• Advise you how to manage your monthly payments when debts are starting to get cleared off: they deal with the creditor who wants more money etc.

• When you need advice you can call them any time at no cost,

• When your payment goes down to, say, £200 per month the debt management fee also reduces to £30 per month and so on.

When it is paid off who helped you? A company that made life tougher, or a true professional resource?

I would never suggest the Citizens Advice Bureau were anything other than the best friend in the world when everyone else has departed: what I would say is that a debt professional will get you a better deal. Why? Because they get paid by  performance (good old commercial values). Tell them what you want/need and that's what they will TRY to do. Don't go to the CAB with a list of assets you want to keep, and a list you don't want! You can with a debt adjuster (whether that's right or wrong is not the issue here).

Remember the debt company works for you, not your creditors: you pay them to help you get out of one of the worst personal problems you can imagine!

Not all of us are cut out for dealing with creditors. Some creditors will make your hair curl and others are not so mean, but are incredibly persistent.

One of the things that a creditor will look for in a serious debt situation is what help has been sought from experienced sources: if this is none, expect tenacity. You can quote harassment at them, police or any other intervention to stop them - but it wont help in lots of cases. Debt collectors collect debts, and are very good at it: their attitude is why expect understanding and sympathy if you have debts! This is where the debt management company comes into it's own...

...they have lots of understanding (who does not have debt these days) and sympathy (it's easy to go over the top - lose a job - break a partnership - suffer illness). As the debt management company is seen by your creditors as the controlling influence over the hopes of them and you, the need for your creditors to shout out loud to be paid is pointless: but they and you will know that the debt and your future will have a happy ending.