Frequently Asked Questions
Bankruptcy
What are my duties as a bankrupt?
When a bankruptcy order has been made against you, you must do all the following things:
- Provide information about your financial affairs to the official receiver. The court will give you the address and telephone number of the official receiver. You will need to contact the official receiver as soon as possible once the bankruptcy order has been made. If you cannot go immediately to the official receiver's office, he or she will ask you questions over the telephone. You may also have to attend an interview at the official receiver's office at a later date.
- Collect and hand over your assets to the official receiver, with all your account books, records, bank statements, insurance policies and other papers relating to your assets and debts.
- Tell your trustee in bankruptcy about any assets and increases in income you receive during your bankruptcy.
- Stop using your bank and building society accounts, credit cards and similar accounts straight away.
- Not get credit of £500 or more from any person without first telling them that you are a bankrupt.
- Not make payments direct to your creditors for money that you owed before the bankruptcy order was made.
If you do not co-operate with your trustee in bankruptcy, you could be arrested.
Who should I talk to before I go down the route of bankruptcy?
What are the alternatives to bankruptcy?
How do I petition for bankruptcy?
How much will it cost to make myself bankrupt?
Who will deal with my bankruptcy?