Hi to all,

I'm new to this site and I'm looking for some advice.

My brother is in lots of debt (20k) and has employed a tactic of putting his head in the sand for, it would appear, the last couple of years.

I'm trying to help him get himself sorted out and I'm not really sure where to start. We have agreed to initially sort through ALL the paperwork knocking about and get a handle on how much the total debt is, and work out income and expenses to see what is a realistic number every month to be paying back to the various debts.

However, my bro is reluctant to get back in touch with the companies he owes money too all in one go, as he thinks that as soon as they know where he is, they will start court proceedings to recover everything outstanding. I have tried to tell her that she needs to call everyone and start getting it under control and they really aren't going to put him in prison, but I'm not sure what will actually happen!

We want to avoid bankruptcy and IVA's for what really is a manageable amount, but I'm not sure what they can MAKE him do? If we call, will they demand certain amounts of their choosing monthly (or even the whole debt) and can we negotiate? Are we allowed to ask for the interest to be frozen without an IVA? What are her rights, if any, in managing these repayments and deciding what they will be? Basically, I would like have an awareness of what we are letting ourselves into before we call (so I can reassure his it will be fine!)

Any advice would be very gratefully received!

Please PM