Dealing with debt can feel overwhelming, but there are options. If your patrons have questions about getting started with dealing with a debt or their rights around debt collection, the resources below can help.
First steps to take in dealing with debt: This page provides steps to follow to learn more about your debts, how to prioritize which ones to repay first, and negotiating with creditors.
If your patron needs something more in-depth, People’s Law School also has pages on dealing with debt and getting out of debt. These can help patrons learn about how to deal with debt collectors, negotiate payment terms, consolidate debts, and their options when creditors want to garnish wages or repossess property to repay a debt.
They have also created several template letters which can be used to communicate with creditors about debts, whether it is asking to reduce debt payments or to ask for the debt to be written off.
The Credit Counselling Society is a national non-profit that aims to help Canadians solve their money problems. They have several pages that can help patrons learn more about their options:
- How to Communicate Effectively with Creditors and Collection Agencies: this page includes information on how to negotiate and communicate with collection agencies, including sample letters.
- Debt Consolidation in Canada: this page provides information on debt consolidation, including common reasons to consolidate and different ways to do so.
- Consumer Proposal: if patrons have exhausted their other options to deal with debt, filing a consumer proposal is an option. This page can help you learn more about what this option entails.
Consumer Protection BC licenses and oversees debt collection agencies and debt collectors in BC. Their page on debt collection answers common questions patrons may have such as if collectors can call, what to do if collectors are calling the wrong person, disputing a debt with an agency, and more. It also includes printable forms and letters patrons can use to communicate with collectors. Consumer Protection BC has also put together a collection of consumer tips on debt collection and debt management.
If your patron prefers a print resource, the LSLAP Manual includes a chapter on Creditors’ Remedies and Debtors’ Assistance, which provides information on debtors’ options and ways to deal with debt. This title should be available on your shelves, as well as on the Clicklaw Wikibooks website linked above.
If you need help with your patron’s question, please feel free to get in touch with Courthouse Libraries’ reference librarians! You can contact us at librarian@courthouselibrary.ca and 1-800-665-2570, or by getting in touch with your nearest branch.