www.iva.co.uk

Hi,

I was approved for an IVA in October 2005 and had been making regular payments of £257 per month up until November and December 2006 when I took a payment holiday when I relocated to London to live with my boyfriend. When living in London I found it hard to find a job, having been disillusioned by my previous job as a legal secretary. I decided I wanted to work with children and was taking active steps to gain employment by doing voluntary work whilst my partner was supporting me. I made a payment in January 2007, yet still had no full time work.

My relationship fell apart in March 2007 and I moved in with a friend and found a job in early april with another firm of solicitors who changed my opinion of working in a legal environment. Everything was going well and I was doing my best to pay between £300 and £375 per month to make up the shortfall for the months I had missed payments. I have been struggling by scraping every last penny together, however holding down a good job and the company was paying for my training to become a legal executive.

Unfortunately on 4 March due to the financial climate and property market I was made redundant and given 1 weeks notice as per my contract with the company.

I now feel completely lost, sick and worthless. Even though the company advised me that my contract was being terminated because of their position and not in any way my fault, i still feel like a failure and dont know if i want to go back to working in law.

I cannot remember the exact figure my debt was, but i beleive it was approximately £22k. I set up m IVA with clearstart and sent them all documentation with regards to the debt and i did not retain a copy. Will I be able to file for bankruptcy if i cannot remember who my creditors are and what i owe them?

All my debt is unsecured loans and credit cards.

Please can someone help me.

Hi Emmy and welcome to the forum, but sad to hear your news.

If you have no assets of material value, why don't you consider filing for bankruptcy to get a real fresh start free from these debts. With no income at the moment, and presumably a limited redundancy settlement (if any) you will struggle to service the IVA and this may now have become a millstone around your neck.

Hi Emmy

Juar wanted to say, please dont feel like a failure, debt is very stressful, I know we all got ourselves into the debt but taking responsibility for it and trying to repay as much as possible are not the actions of a failure. You have tried the IVA route but are no longer able to service it through no fault of your own.

Its not really surprising that you feel so low with this weight on your shoulders for so long. I am sure your IVA company will be able to forward paperwork relating to your debts. There have been many here who have been able to put the debt stress behind them post IVA and BR and start again. Many on this forum have felt as you do, there is a way forward.

I wish you the very best of luck.

Hi Emmy

First and foremost, please don't take redundancy personally. For me, it was a time to regroup and reflect. Luckily for you I think, if you are still in the London area, there used to be a fair few jobs for legal secs about. It may not be ideal, but it's work and even if you temp (I used to love it but for me not being qualified, the money was dreadful),at least you will be boosting your self esteem.

I ended up in my current job via a temp role and after proving myself, I got a pay rise of £5 an hour ! I got made permanent after 6 months and yes, there were times when I struggled, even with some redundancy in the bank, but I still have a home and food in the cupboard so it really isn't all bad.

As for the IVA, I'm no expert, but what Melanie suggests seems to make great sense.

Good luck and once the shock of the redundancy wears off, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try not to let it drag you down.

Good luck.

Hi Emmy,

It is apparent that you have tried really hard - well done, but maybe it just wasn't ment to be.

You will be able to get plenty of support and help from the site.

There shouldn't be an issue in obtaining the information from your IVA company if you require it. Also if you wanted a little more time to consider your options they maybe able to provide a further holiday.

If however you now wish to draw a line as Melanie suggests Bankruptcy could be your fresh start.

All the best alan

www.debtdr.co.uk

Hi emmy,

As you say the redundancy was not your fault. What made you a good employee in that job will make you attractive to your next employer in whatever that business might be.

It's hugely unsettling when a job comes to an unexpected end but I think that the way forward for you might be to focus on finding your next job rather than selecting a new debt solution today.

Thank you so much for your help everyone. I am going to speak to clearstart asap. I will let you know how I get on.

Emmy

Hi emmy

It sounds like a very stressful time for you at present, but please do not feel a faliure.
Have a chat with clearstart and find out the current situation and then see what your options are, you will feel much better when you know this.
Keep in touch with the forum as it is a tremendous support and a great place for advice.
Best wishes
Emma

Hi Emmy

don't worry about getting the documents back or filling in the forms - there is help & support here on the forum and several experts who can guide you through the process

Good luck with another job