Debts; consulting
If you need counseling due to your financial situation, then you can take advantage of debt counseling.
Description
The debt counseling service sees itself as providing holistic personal assistance, but it cannot provide financial support for the repayment of debts. In accordance with the economic and personal conditions of those affected, an individual approach to a solution is sought together. The goal of debt counseling is to enable individuals to regain an optimistic outlook and active life planning, and to strengthen their ability to help themselves by making them aware of the causes of their over-indebtedness. Further assistance includes drawing up an economic and repayment plan, negotiating with creditors, and support in debt restructuring in cooperation with banks.
Debt counseling is offered free of charge. All information provided by those seeking advice is treated as strictly confidential.
Debtor counseling is a task of the counties and independent cities. They perform this task
- in part through their own municipal debt counseling centers,
- to a large extent through the counseling centers of the independent welfare associations (Caritas, Diakonisches Werk, Arbeiterwohlfahrt, Rotes Kreuz, Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband).
Information about the debt counseling centers in your area can be obtained from the relevant social welfare administration (social welfare office). A list of debtor counseling centers and recognized insolvency counseling centers in Bavaria can be found under "Further links".
Prerequisites
Counseling is available to any private household in need of assistance or threatened with social decline.
The basic prerequisite for effective debt counseling is active and long-term cooperation between the person seeking help and the counselor.
Those seeking advice must be willing to
- disclose all debts and all means of income,
- comply with the debt counselor's recommendations and agreements, and
- change their budget if necessary.
If they are willing to accept these restrictions, debt counseling can be successful.
Procedure
You must contact a debt counseling center with your request. The further procedure depends on the specific situation.
Special notes
Already at the first signs of financial difficulties it would make sense to contact a debt counseling center, for example if
- urgent purchases can only be made in installments,
- the account is frequently overdrawn,
- the first reminders from creditors are received.
Experience shows that the best results are achieved if the offer of help is taken up at an early stage. Therefore, the consultation should not be delayed.
Please ask your counseling center which forms you need.
Deadlines
Whether and, if so, which deadlines must be observed depends on the individual situation.
Required documents
-
Which documents are required must be clarified with the respective consulting institution. These are for example:
- Documents proving overindebtedness
- Evidence of income and expenses
- Evidence of use of state aid
- Notices
- Income tax statement
- Reminders and current statements of claims
- Attachment orders
- Notice of termination of tenancy, eviction
- Blocking of energy and heat supply
- Application for assumption of rent debt
- Application for account garnishment protection
- Proof of pending criminal proceedings
Links to more information
Status: 31.01.2023
Responsible for editing: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited
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