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Debt Advice Handbook 14th edition

Contents

Chapter 1: Debt Advice: an outline

1. Professional debt advice

2. The debt advice system

3. Administration

Chapter 2: Key Skills

1. Interviewing

2. Negotiating

3. Letter writing

4. Representing clients in court

5. Changing policy

6. Ensuring good practice

7. Budgeting advice

Chapter 3: Stages of debt advice

1. Exploring the debt problem

2. Dealing with urgent issues

3. Listing creditors and minimising debts

4. Listing and maximising income

5. Listing expenditure

6. Dealing with priority debts

7. Drawing up a financial statement

8. Choosing a strategy for non-priority debts

9. Implementing the chosen strategies

Chapter 4: Consumer credit

1. Introduction

2. Authorising traders

3. Regulated agreements

Chapter 5: Types of debt

Chapter 6: Minimising debts

1. Introduction

2. Using contract law

3. Using the Consumer Credit Act

Chapter 7: Maximising income

1. Introduction

2. How to use this chapter

3. A–Z of benefits and tax credits

4. Calculating entitlement

5. Other help

Chapter 8: Dealing with priority debts

1. Deciding on priorities

2. The general approach to priority debts

3. Strategies for dealing with priority debts

4. Emergency action

Chapter 9: Dealing with non-priority debts

1. Choosing a strategy

2. The general approach to non-priority debts

3. Strategies for dealing with non-priority debts

4. Court-based strategies

5. Future schemes

Chapter 10: Action in the county court: general

1. Introduction

2. Before starting court action

3. Taking court action

4. Court fees

5. Time limits

6. Appeals and adjournments

Chapter 11: Action in the county court: money claims

1. Starting a money claim

2. Admitting a money claim

3. The judgment

4. Defending a money claim

5. Enforcing a judgment

6. Preventing enforcement

Chapter 12: Action in the county court: possession of goods and services

1. Recovering goods on hire purchase or conditional sale

2. Recovering property

3. Recovering owner-occupied property

4. Recovering rented property

5. Preventing enforcement

Chapter 13: The magistrates’ court

1. The magistrates’ court

2. Financial penalties

3. Enforcing a financial penalty

4. Council tax

5. Wilful refusal and culpable neglect

Chapter 14: Bailiffs

1. Introduction

2. When bailiffs are used

3. How bailiffs are instructed

4. Bailiffs’ powers

5. Complaints about bailiffs

6. Emergency action

Chapter 15: Personal insolvency

1. Insolvency options: summary

2. Administration orders

3. When to use bankruptcy and individual voluntary arrangements

4. Individual voluntary arrangements

5. Bankruptcy

6. Debt relief orders

Chapter 16: Business debts

1. Introduction

2. Types of small business

3. Stages of debt advice

Chapter 17: Student debt

1. Financial support for students

2. Stages of debt advice

3. Types of debt

4. Minimising debts

5. Maximising income

6. Dealing with priority debts

Appendices

Appendix 1: Useful organisations

Appendix 2: Useful publications

Appendix 3: Abbreviations used in the notes

Index