Debt Advice Bureau is a non-profit organization offering free advisory service to help people with debt problems.  They advice people on consolidation of loans, dealing with endowment mortgage shortfalls, debt management, IVAs, and bankruptcy.  Citizens Advice Bureaus (CABs) that provide independent and confidential and impartial advice to individuals on their rights as well as responsibilities also deal with debt and the ways to resolve the problem.  Debt advice is part of this service where they are mostly flooded with enquiries off late due to the current economic situation. When a person comes to the point of drowning in debts, the first thing he needs is a genuine legal advice. Debt relief is a specialized area which requires specialized knowledge and training.  In this situation he may not be in a position to take paid advice and hence the charitable organizations offer free legal advice and guidance to the affected person who approaches them.  Some companies may also offer free advice initially.  The Debt Advice Bureau comes to the help of such numerous people who seek help to resolve their debt issues.

For example the Jersey Advice Bureau has a Debt Advice Service that anyone can avail free of charge with prior appointment.  The office is open Monday to Friday and the working hours are 10.00 AM to 3.00 PM.  They have an email enquiry service to receive enquiries and the person may be asked to visit if the problem is complex. The Washington Citizen’s Advice Bureau is another independent charity organization that offers free impartial and confidential advice to the local community.  They also function as a debt advice bureau to offer debt related advice to people. They have trained specialists to help people with debt problems.  According to them, it is never too late to seek advice on ways to resolve the debt and other financial issues.  They guide the person to draw up a financial plan before they speak to his/her creditors on their behalf so as to negotiate a possible repayment schedule.  In cases of bankruptcy, they help the individual by advising on every step of the bankruptcy procedure and help them complete the necessary legal forms correctly.

In the United Kingdom two charitable organizations provide free advice on debt relief.  They are The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) who function on a non-profit basis.  The qualified debt advisor in the debt advice bureau will offer advice depending upon the situation the individual is in and also negotiate with his/her creditors on their behalf.   The Consumer Credit Counselling Service is another non-profit service offering debt advice.  They are funded by the funds contributed by the credit industry. They work out a debt management plan that suits the person and negotiates with the creditor on his behalf. When caught up in a deep debt or financial crisis, seeking legal advice on debt relief is the most important step because it would lead you to take control of the situation and move towards the path to debt resolution. The best thing to do is to approach a debt advice bureau like the CAB, private money advisors and Debt Management Companies that offer free advice.