Schulden en nu? (Debts, what now? / La dette et maintenant ?)

As in the picture, in some situations you can feel like you are on a small island that you can no longer get away from. In a situation where debts have arisen, regardless of why, you can feel alone, powerless, stressed and sometimes you don't know what to do. That is why we have created a kind of roadmap below of the steps that you can possibly take. I will also try to add any example forms that you can use to this site.

The most important thing to do if you have debts is to stay in touch with your creditors. Be honest about your situation with the help agencies and creditors.

First, it is good to write down as many debts as possible with the date of the last letter or email, the amount of the debt and the file number or reference.

Via the Debt Guide button below you can see whether and who has seized your income.

Once you have made an overview, you can ask the bailiffs to put your file "on hold" for a month to give you the opportunity to enter into discussions with the debt assistance of your municipality. Replace the blue text in the letter between <..> with your own information.

Then make an appointment with your municipality for debt assistance as soon as possible. You can find a link to the correct department of your municipality via the buttons of the municipalities below. They can help you further in your process. This can be via, for example, an amicable process or WSNP. In both cases, you will be helped with your debts and you must adhere to a number of rules.

Amicable process:

An amicable process is a form of debt settlement with which both parties involved in a dispute can reach an acceptable arrangement for both parties without the need for legal proceedings or other forms of litigation. In short, creditors and debtors try to reach a mutual debt settlement, without the intervention of a judge. The aim of such a process is to pay off the debts in an acceptable manner.

WSNP:

Sometimes the amicable debt settlement does not work. For example, the debts are so high that the creditors do not want to cooperate. You can then apply for statutory debt restructuring. This process is also known as the ‘Wsnp’ (Natural Persons Debt Restructuring Act). You can apply for the Wsnp if it is clear that an amicable debt settlement is not possible for you.

The Wsnp is a legal arrangement that allows people with problematic debts to become debt-free. You apply for the Wsnp at the court. Your debt counselor can help you with this.

Have you been admitted to the Wsnp? Then you save as much money as possible for your creditors. Your Wsnp administrator will help you with this. A bankruptcy judge checks whether you comply with the rules of the Wsnp.