Debt doesn’t have to reach a crisis point before you can get help
“Too much debt” isn’t one situation — it’s a phrase people use when the numbers have stopped working and they can’t see a way through.Not sure which fits? Don’t worry — call or message us and describe your situation in your own words.
Ready to talk it through?
No charge for the initial conversation. No obligation to proceed. Completely confidential.
What we actually do — and what that makes possible
Most people contact us not knowing what can be achieved. Here is what we do, and what it typically produces.
- We negotiate directly with every creditor We contact each creditor, their agents, solicitors, or whoever has purchased the debt. We deal with them so you don’t have to. Calls and letters stop coming to you and come to us instead.
- We push for interest and charges to be frozen — and we get it confirmed in writing Frozen interest means your payments actually reduce what you owe. We push for this on every account, chase it tenaciously, and don’t accept a verbal agreement — we get written confirmation. Note: this is not possible on loans, where interest is front-loaded, but we factor that in when structuring the plan.
- We stay on top of debt as it moves Debt is frequently sold between agencies and collectors. An agreement reached with one organisation doesn’t always follow it. We track movement, re-establish arrangements when needed, and ensure nothing slips through the gaps.
- We know which correspondence is urgent and which is noise The letters with red ink and capital letters are often the least urgent. The ones that need immediate action are frequently the plain ones in blue — because those are court forms. We read everything and tell you what matters.
- We use Breathing Space strategically to buy time The Debt Respite Scheme pauses all creditor enforcement for 60 days. We use this as a tactical tool — creating the space to prepare a proper plan, prevent CCJs, and bring creditors to the table on better terms. You cannot apply for Breathing Space yourself; we can.
- Where the numbers support it, we negotiate partial settlements When a creditor will move, we pursue settlement below the face value of the debt. We produce the financial statement, make the proposal, follow it up verbally, and handle counter-proposals. Debt written off this way is gone — you are no longer pursued for it.
The road isn’t always smooth — creditors push back, debt moves, and some accounts take longer than others. We know where the pressure points are, we keep pushing, and we stay alongside you for every stretch of it. If circumstances change and a different solution becomes appropriate — including bankruptcy — we will tell you clearly and help you make that decision.
Five years of payments, but the balance had grown — and then the business closed.
“Credit card debt seemed manageable, but really we were slowly drowning. Then the business closed and income was halved. It felt like the walls were closing in.”
- Over £50,000 of combined debt brought into control
- Bankruptcy avoided — family home protected
- All creditor calls and letters stopped
This case was referred by an insolvency practitioner. We receive most of our work by referral.
Over £50,000 of Debt Settled for Less Than 50%
“70% of my minimum payment was just going on interest. Four years later I was in exactly the same position — just more tired of it.”
- Full and final settlement agreed with every creditor
- Over £35,000 written off — paid just over £15,000
- Timed around a simultaneous property purchase
Referred by Andrew Rhodes, Partner, Sobell Rhodes Accountants.
Feeling Overwhelmed Dealing with the Debt — Lightside Helped To Find Space
“The calls were relentless. I couldn’t sleep because of anxiety I felt in the pit of my stomach.”
- All creditor calls and letters stopped
- Law and commercial reality explained clearly
- Peace of mind restored — three crises, one solution
Referred by her divorce solicitor.
From where you are now, to somewhere better
You do not need to have all the answers first. Most people come to us not knowing where to start — that is exactly what the first call is for.
You make contact
The hardest step — and the only one you need to take on your own. Everything after this, we handle together.
We map the picture
We listen without judgement. We review your income, outgoings, all creditors and circumstances, then explain every realistic option clearly.
You choose
The right path is yours to choose. We give you the information to make a genuinely informed decision — without pressure and without jargon.
We handle it
Once you instruct us, we contact all your creditors directly. The calls and letters stop coming to you. We deal with creditors, not you.
“At a very difficult and dark time, Lightside literally saved my life.”
When your client’s debt has become the problem you can’t solve for them
Solicitors, accountants, and mortgage advisers refer clients to Lightside when a debt situation has developed beyond what they can address in their own practice. The referral is usually triggered by one of a handful of recognisable situations — and if any of these are familiar, an initial discussion costs nothing and is completely confidential.
We take over the debt matter entirely. Your client’s relationship with you remains intact and undisturbed. We keep you informed of progress at whatever level of detail is useful, and we work to a conclusion — not just an initial assessment.
Lightside is FCA-authorised and a recognised specialist in complex personal and business debt. Most of the cases on this page were referred by professionals: solicitors managing divorce proceedings, accountants whose clients’ businesses had closed, and mortgage advisers blocked from progressing a remortgage because of the client’s existing unsecured debt.
Talk to us about your client
Initial referral discussions are completely confidential. You do not need your client’s permission to make a speculative enquiry. Anonymised details are fine at this stage.
Cases referred by professionals
“I was doing everything I was supposed to do — making all the payments — but the debt wasn’t going down. If anything, it was creeping up. Four years later, I was in exactly the same position, just more tired of it.”
Ms. J had a decent salary and had never missed a payment — the problem was that her repayments were not reducing the debt. We reviewed her full financial position and each creditor individually, then approached them directly with a creditor arrangement based on payments she could sustainably afford rather than minimums driven by interest. A freeze on interest and charges across all accounts was negotiated, so that from that point every payment reduced the actual balance rather than servicing it. We took over all creditor communication. The debt cycle was broken, a clear end date established, and Ms. J’s mortgage position was protected throughout.
“The calls were relentless. I couldn’t sleep because of anxiety I felt in the pit of my stomach.”
Ms. JJ was anxious and worried about the advice she had already received. She had tried to engage with creditors but the letters and calls didn’t stop. We advised, differentiating between the law and commercial reality. We took over dealing with her lenders; the calls stopped, the letters reduced. Ms. JJ knew we could be relied upon, and she got back her peace of mind.
“The debt built up across credit cards and personal loans, and for a long time I told myself I was managing. But in reality, I wasn’t; 70% of my minimum payment was just going on interest!”
Mr. N had been in a debt management plan for some time but there was no strategy behind it — the balances on his credit cards and personal loans barely moved month to month. We identified that the right route was a negotiated full and final settlement rather than continued servicing, and assessed each creditor individually for their likely appetite for discount. Each settlement was confirmed in writing before any payment was made, and we carefully sequenced the creditor negotiations around a simultaneous property purchase so the debt resolution supported rather than disrupted the conveyancing. Mr. N paid just over £15,000 in settlement of liabilities exceeding £50,000 — his home was not at risk at any point — and now carries only his mortgage and one credit card he clears in full each month.
“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.
“We were using credit cards to fill the gaps. Not for luxuries — just to get through the month. The balances kept growing, and I felt completely overwhelmed.”
Mr. and Mrs. V were behind on their commitments, had not identified which debts were priority debts, and were relying on credit to maintain day-to-day affordability. A bailiff had come to the door. We reviewed their income and expenditure, separated priority from non-priority debt, and put a Creditor Arrangement in place — stopping interest and charges across all creditors, redirecting all creditor contact through Lightside, and agreeing affordable repayments structured around their actual income. The bailiff action stopped. Council Tax was brought up to date. For the first time in a long time, Mr. and Mrs. V felt financial stability rather than month-to-month crisis.
“I had stopped answering the phone entirely. My wife was frightened, and I had nothing to offer her. I couldn’t see how any single person or firm could deal with all of this at once.”
Mr. and Mrs. TA came to us with seven repossessed buy-to-let properties, mortgage shortfall debts including overseas creditor correspondence in French, two final charging orders on the family home, an HMRC claim against a family trust, and active bailiff threats. We coordinated the entire picture. The HMRC trust claim was referred to a specialist tax investigations firm and reduced to nil. A controlled sale of the family home was advised, with proceeds distributed to the adult children per the existing trust terms — protecting the equity before a forced sale could consume it. The remaining unsecured debts were placed under a Creditor Arrangement with agreed annual repayments. No bankruptcy petition was issued and no further enforcement action followed.