Quite a few questions there, so I will try and address them individually.
You should speak to more than 1 firm mainly to make sure that you have been made aware of ALL options open to you. It is a rare case indeed that has only 1 option available, so feeling comfortable and making your own mind up after being armed with the full facts is very important.
In theory, give or take a little bit, IP's should be writing near enough the same proposal. There are accepted norms and guidelines that we are subject to but that doesn't mean that things are set in stone. It is inevitable that figures may differ a little depending on who you talk to, but if the same facts are presented to all providers they shouldn't vary wildly. It should be noted here, though, that some providers will not look at IVA's below a minimum payment level as it is not cost effective for them, typically that may be say £225 or £250 per month. Others will be able to look at lower contribution levels, the danger there being that some cases may be rejected by some firms but accepted by others, which is another reason to look around.
On the last point, yes, an IP will not put a proposal forward unless they think that it stands a very good chance of being accepted.
Regards.
