Getting an IVA

Basic Procedure and time frame of an IVA proposal

The time stated below is the average number of days usually taken by our advisors to process the paperwork and the timescale's dictated by the Court and Insolvency Act 1986.

No allowance has been made for the length of time that it takes a client to return paperwork or to file paperwork at Court, as this varies significantly from client to client.


You make initial contact with us.
We send our "Fact Finder" pack to you.

When you make initial contact with us - we'll need to ask you about your debts, personal finances and about your essential expenditure.

Only if we consider that an IVA is likely to be accepted in your circumstances, would we advise a formal proposal.

We are required by our regulators to send you the Is a Voluntary Arrangement Right for Me? leaflet as published by Association of Business Recovery Professionals.

Click to view document

You send signed "Fact Finder" pack back to us.

Once we've your case, you need to complete and return a questionnaire (via freepost) which gives one of our advisors the information required to prepare the IVA Proposal.

You need to sign a formal letter of instruction, and a letter authorising us to contact your creditors. This will hopefully ensure that the creditors stop contacting you and will contact us instead.  This naturally reduces stress and pressure from yourself.

We draft the IVA proposal and issue it to you.

A draft proposal is prepared based on the information you have provided, and sent to you for approval. You may be asked to provide further details in respect of any information outstanding or missing.

You sign the IVA proposal and send it back to us.

The draft proposal is returned to us by freepost with any alterations and missing information required. The IVA proposal is then updated and returned to you for final approval.

  1. We prepare a report to comment on your offer to your creditors and lodge this report and your IVA proposal in court. This is a formality, you will not be required to attend court unless there are exceptional circumstances. If there are such circumstances, you will be advised at the start of your case.
  2. A creditors meeting is convened and your IVA proposal together with our report will be sent to all creditors to consider. You do not have to attend this meeting, but may do so if you wish.
  3. At the creditors meeting, they vote on whether they are willing to accept your offer. If 75% (by value of the debt) of the creditors agree to accept your offer, the IVA is approved. The arrangement will be binding to all creditors at that point, whether they voted or not.
  4. If necessary, the creditors meeting of can be adjourned for up to 14 days to consider any revised offers, if applicable.

Congratulations ! Your IVA proposal has been agreed.

You are now FREE FROM DEBT

This is provided you maintain the payments and terms of the agreement.

Live in Scotland ?

Please see Trust Deeds
IVAs are for English or Welsh Residents Only.

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