Beat My Debt Bankruptcy Assistance Service

The bankruptcy application form is 30 pages in length. It needs to be completed fully and correctly. This will normally take between 3-4 hours.

The Court is unable to give advice on completing your Bankruptcy application forms.

To work with you to complete your forms and provide you with ongoing support throughout the bankruptcy process, Beat My Debt will charge a fee of £300 for a single application form. This fee will be increased to £500 for a couple.

Costs at The Court

When you declare bankruptcy, you will have to pay a fee directly to the Court. As of the 1st June 2011 the total feel is £700 per person.

The fee is made up of a deposit of £525 which goes towards the administration of your bankrupty. On top of the deposit you will also have to pay a Court Fee of £175.

Court Fee Waiver

In certain circumstances, you may not have to pay a Court Fee. A system of fee waivers and reductions known as the remission scheme is available which allows access to court services free of charge or at a reduced rate. As such you may be eligible for a full remission, where no Court Fee is payable, or a part remission, where a contribution towards the fee is required.

You will receive a full remission of the court fee if you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit guarantee credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Working Tax Credit but not also receiving Child Tax Credit

You will receive a full remission of the Court Fee if your annual income before tax and other deductions (know as gross annual income) and that of your partner if you are part of a couple, is not more than the following: 

If you believe that you are eligable for remission of the Court Fee, you will need to complete an application form EX160. For more information about this form and how to complete it, see the "Related Documents" box above.

Creditor Arrears / Effect on credit rating

You should understand that when you declare yourself bankrupt, you will stop making your normal monthly payments to your creditors. This means that your accounts will go into arrears or further into arrears. This will have a negative effect on your credit rating.

More Information: Expert articles

To read articles about bankruptcy arrangements written by our experts please click on the expert articles and news link in the "Useful Links" box below.