Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen shillings and sixpence, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds and sixpence, result misery. Mr. Micawber’s remarks on debt remain just as true today, perhaps more so with the explosion of credit cards, as they did when Dickens wrote them. We might, like Mr. Micawber, indulge in wishful thinking and try to convince ourselves that something will turn up.
In reality, though, we all know deep down that sooner or later debt problems have to be faced, the sooner the better. Nowadays we might not face debtors’ prison for consumer debt, but we should not fool ourselves either into thinking that credit repair or filing for bankruptcy are easy options. Whichever you choose, self-help or credit lawyer, the road ahead will be a long one. It’s well to face this fact at the outset.
Presenting the options for dealing with debt as a stark choice between self-help and legal relief is a bit misleading. In truth, whether you seek a lawyer or not, you still need to help yourself by acknowledging bad spending habits and poor budgeting management. ...