Financial difficulty is
hard enough already.
We make the path clear.
Debt is rarely just a financial problem — it affects your sleep, your relationships, and your sense of who you are. We take the time to understand your full situation, then work with tenacity to find the right path forward.
Regulated
always you
conversation
Who are you coming to us as?
Debt looks different depending on your situation. Choose the path that best describes yours and we’ll explain your options clearly, in plain English.
I have personal debt
Credit cards, loans, HMRC arrears, or you’re worried about your home. You’re not sure what your options are, or you need the creditor pressure to stop while you think clearly.
Personal Debt SupportI’m a business owner or director
HMRC is chasing the business, you can’t pay suppliers, and you have personal guarantees. We take an overarching approach, assisting with the company debt situation and how you are impacted personally.
Business & Director SupportI’m a professional adviser
For professional advisers, we are an invaluable source of debt advice, taking clients from strategy to solution. If you have clients that need debt support we are here to help.
Professional Adviser SupportOn your side — from the first conversation
Most people arrive not quite knowing where to start. The situation feels serious, but the options aren’t clear, the consequences aren’t explained, and finding someone to trust feels impossible.
Three disciplines. One specialist. Most firms handle one piece of this — the financial analysis, the legal exposure, or the commercial negotiation. Lightside works across all three.
Where we have helped
Every case is different. These are three examples of what working with Lightside looks like in practice.
“I’d been paying my debts but in 5 years they had not shrunk. Then the business closed. I couldn’t pay the credit cards. A personal guarantee creditor came straight for us, and bankruptcy was the word I couldn’t stop turning over.”
We treated the personal and business debt as one picture rather than two. The personal guarantee was the immediate pressure point — the creditor was preparing bankruptcy proceedings. We negotiated a voluntary charge on the family home, which gave the creditor the security they needed to stand down from formal action. The bankruptcy threat was removed and the home was protected. We then brought over £50,000 of personal credit card and loan debt into a single coordinated Creditor Arrangement, took over all creditor communication, and structured the co-director’s share of the guaranteed debt separately. Mr C has since relaunched his business.
“The business hadn’t failed. That was the hardest part to sit with. We’d built something real — then the council changed what we were allowed to use.”
We structured a pre-pack sale of the restaurant’s assets to a newly formed company at independently assessed fair value. All staff were offered TUPE transfer. The original company entered CVL, closing out its historic liabilities while preserving the brand, the team, and the customer base. The new company is trading profitably from new premises.
“I was so scared at the thought of bankruptcy. The thought of losing my home was terrifying. I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t sleeping.”
Mrs. SS’s home was never at risk — but she didn’t know that. A thorough review of the equity ownership structure confirmed the Trustee in Bankruptcy had no viable claim on the property. We managed all correspondence throughout, so she never had to deal with the insolvency service or creditors directly. When the Trustee attempted to claim the family Porsche, we challenged it. The claim was dropped. Mrs. SS was discharged within 12 months with her home, her marriage, and her financial footing intact.
Real people. Real outcomes.
When I first got in touch, I was at my wits’ end — around £50,000 of debt and endless sleepless nights. From the very first words, I instantly knew there was someone on the other end who was going to help me, not judge me. Over six months on, I am so much happier and very much in control of my finances.
I was introduced to Lightside by a family friend. I was in financial trouble from a failed business. Every situation is unique and Lightside took the time to fully understand mine. I ended up being able to use the experience I went through as fuel, rather than letting it define me. Three years later I am proudly leading a successful business.
I was drowning in £40,000 of debt which affected every aspect of my life — I was in despair, feeling like a failure with no one to turn to. From the very first conversation, I felt Lightside had my back. The service I have received has been outstanding and I have always felt very supported.
Lightside’s calm manner, expertise and clear explanations gave us hope. They left no stone unturned — and as a result of their invaluable advice, a situation that felt impossible was resolved. I would thoroughly recommend Lightside to people suffering with debt problems, and at an earlier stage than we contacted them.
Within the space of three months I had lost my job, my marriage, and a close family member. Dealing with almost daily contact from creditors felt completely overwhelming. I believe that at a very difficult and dark time, Lightside literally saved my life.
When I started my journey with Lightside, I was heavily in debt and completely unsure how to handle the situation — including the sleepless nights. From the first meeting, my mind was put at ease. Within six years I was debt-free and with Lightside’s support I was able to get a mortgage and buy my first home.
Lightside’s recommendations opened my eyes to options I never knew existed — and with their patience, empathetic approach and clear explanations, life has returned to some form of normality. A life changer — and I don’t use that phrase lightly.
From the moment we first met, Barry immediately put my mind at rest — I knew I was in safe hands. He attended court with me, dealt with all the administration, and never once made me feel I was being a nuisance. It really was as straightforward as he said it would be. If I had known, I would have done it years ago.
Initially there were many calls and texts from one particular creditor, which I found quite distressing. Lightside was always there with reassurance and clear instructions. You are not alone — they are on your side, representing you, which takes a whole weight off your shoulders.
I recommended Lightside to a friend who was experiencing some extreme difficulties, and the response and help he received was absolutely brilliant — it got him back on track with everything. A company that goes above and beyond.
Lightside has not only solved my biggest stress in life by helping me overcome my debt — they have been an absolute lifeline in getting me back on my feet. Never once disregarded, and there whenever I had a question. If you are looking for help with any debt issues, I don’t think there is a better place.
A close relative needed help and I contacted Lightside, not knowing how to minimise the anxiety they were going through. I can’t thank them enough for the sound advice given. For most people the picture isn’t as bleak as it may seem. You just need to follow the right path.
What professionals say.
My client had been receiving conflicting advice from several commercial lawyers over months. The very same afternoon you obtained a 60-day breathing space period for him. I have absolute faith in continuing to refer clients to Lightside.
When we have a client with unmanageable HMRC VAT and Corporation Tax debt, with bailiff threats, we know we can count on Lightside to assist. Having worked on a number of cases together, we are always impressed with the strategic thinking we can count on.
I refer all my liquidation clients to Lightside — solvent and insolvent. Their ability to ask the right questions, think creatively, and find entirely client-centric solutions means my clients are in safe hands. I wouldn’t refer them otherwise.
Having worked on several matters with the team at Lightside, it has always been evident that clients trust the quality of advice. We have been pleased to be engaged, and are always impressed with the clarity of the information we are provided with.
The team at Lightside can be counted on to be sympathetic and clear with clients who need to hear the hard truth. The outside-of-the-box thinking means Lightside is who I turn to when a client needs liquidation input — whether at the start of the process, or post-liquidation when personal demands are being made.
It is refreshing that we can direct our clients to Lightside for FCA-regulated debt advice, so that the other side’s assertions can be properly challenged and a better outcome achieved for all parties.
I have been delighted with the outcomes achieved for referrals passed to Lightside. I have always been kept in the loop — and it has been pleasing to know from clients that they are pleased with the referral I have made.
I have recommended Lightside to clients and prospective clients with debt problems on a number of occasions. They provide a first class service. Nothing but positive feedback from those I have referred.
Where I have seen financial plans going down a blackhole because of debt, I have been amazed at what Lightside has done to stop this and chart a clear path forward for clients I have referred.
We are pleased that we can call Lightside and discuss client matters informally to ascertain how best to deal with situations of financial difficulty. Lightside understand that a company debt problem has a real impact on the personal situation — and that joined-up thinking is what sets them apart.