Care and support

Introduction

Bankruptcy is one method of dealing with your debts if you cannot pay them. Anyone can apply to make themselves bankrupt. If you are declared bankrupt, your assets will be shared among your creditors and after a period of time, any outstanding debts are written off and you can make a fresh start, subject to some restrictions.

You should consider very carefully if bankruptcy is suitable for you and consider first if there are any other alternative solutions to dealing with your debts. Click on how to manage your debts to find more information.

These pages give an overview of the bankruptcy process for individual debtors. If your circumstances are different, e.g. you are running a business or partnership, please see the section on further help and advice.

Some debt cannot be included in your bankruptcy, which means even if you are declared bankrupt you will still have to pay them. Some of these debts include, court fines for fraud and certain other crimes, debts arising from the family court (for example those relating to CSA payments, or personal injury), and student loans if you were made bankrupt after 1 September 2004.