Bankruptcy is the final solution to dealing with your financial issues – it is the measure of last resort and should never be undertaken lightly nor without professional advice and assistance. In a nutshell, bankruptcy is where all your assets are liquidated and sold with the proceeds being distributed to your creditors; after a period of supervision, which is 12 months in the UK, you are now free and clear to restart your life without the burden of your debts.

The devil is in the detail – “all of your assets are liquidated and sold”, and this includes your home, your business if you are self-employed, your vehicles and your investments as well as any savings if you have them.

The most common factor is of course, losing your home and having to move your family to usually, rented accommodation.

You can be made bankrupt in two different ways – voluntary bankruptcy is where you file your own petition with the court to have you declared bankrupt and involuntary bankruptcy, which is where a creditor who you owe more than £750 files to have you declared bankrupt.

The process is started by filing a petition with the High Court in London or if you live out of the London area, with your local county court. The Official Receiver, a court officer who is appointed by the Secretary of State, will then advertise the bankruptcy in the London Gazette which is a publication dealing with legal notices. They are responsible for acting as your trustee in bankruptcy and are required to oversee the liquidation of your assets and the fair distribution of them to your creditors. They are also required to ensure you are honest in your dealings and are not concealing assets from your creditors. In addition, they are also responsible for making sure the bankruptcy notice is distributed to the various agencies involved and who have an interest in any bankruptcy order such as HM Land Registry, bailiffs, other courts handling your financial issues, and HM revenue and Customs.

An Insolvency Practitioner may be appointed as your trustee in bankruptcy as an alternative to the Official Receiver. An Insolvency Practitioner is a qualified professional who is authorised to act as your trustee in bankruptcy and do all of the functions normally performed by the Official Receiver. They will also perform the supervision of your finances for the next 12 months until you are eligible to be discharged. Discharge is usually granted after the 12 month period and you are now a discharged bankrupt and free to pursue your life without any financial supervision or restraint though the fact you have been declared bankrupt will be recorded and obtaining credit and a mortgage to buy a home may be more difficult.

Bankruptcy may be a simple and relatively quick method of clearing your debts but it is not suitable for many people; indeed, there are a number of other methods for dealing with your debt situation which do not include losing your home. It is absolutely vital that you seek professional and independent advice at the very earliest stage – the sooner you seek advice then the quicker and easier it will be to come up with an alternative that falls short of losing your home and assets.