Your first debt appointment: what to bring and what to ask

Decide what you need the meeting to clarify

Before collecting documents, write one sentence about why you are booking: “I can cover essentials but not the debt payments,” or “I need to understand a collection letter.” That sentence gives the conversation a practical starting point.

Then identify the professional you are meeting. A credit counsellor and a Licensed Insolvency Trustee have different roles. The OSB provides an introduction to discussing options with an LIT; FCAC explains getting help from a credit counsellor. Confirm the person's role and any appointment cost when booking.

A first conversation can help establish what information is needed. Ask the office what to bring and what can follow later. Missing one document should become a question to resolve, rather than a reason to abandon the appointment.

Make a one-page summary

Put your take-home income, essential expenses and debt payments on one page. Use a recent ordinary month, then note anything that makes it unusual. If your earnings vary, show the range and how often the lower months occur.

Keep household income distinct from money that is actually available to you. If a partner contributes to rent but does not share other expenses, explain the arrangement. Avoid silently assuming that everyone in the home can fund a proposed payment.

Add your three main priorities. These might include keeping transport to work, managing an upcoming change in housing, or understanding the effect on a co-borrower. Priorities do not determine the legal answer, but they help the professional understand which consequences need a careful explanation.

At the bottom, list unanswered questions and the documents you could not find. Label estimates clearly.

Include the date you prepared the summary. If the appointment is later, update any material change rather than letting an earlier balance or income estimate look current. A dated snapshot makes follow-up conversations easier to compare.

Gather records that make the numbers traceable

Use the office's requested list as your starting point. A practical preparation folder may include:

• Recent creditor statements, showing balances and minimum payments.
• Income records and notes about expected changes.
• Housing, utility, transport, insurance and care costs.
• Details of property, savings and other assets, including joint ownership.
• Tax notices, collection letters and any court documents.
• Loan agreements involving security, guarantees or other borrowers.

You do not need to arrange the folder beautifully. Separate debt records from income and spending, and put documents with deadlines at the front. Make copies or use a secure upload process the office has confirmed.

If statements disagree, keep both and flag the discrepancy. Replacing an awkward number with a guess can hide the exact issue the professional needs to investigate.

Explain what happened and what may happen next

A balance alone does not explain a cash-flow problem. Prepare a brief timeline of the events that affected your finances. Include when payments became difficult and whether the underlying issue is temporary, ongoing or uncertain.

Looking forward matters too. Mention an expected end to a contract, a rent increase, parental leave, changing childcare costs or a possible return to work. Separate confirmed dates from possibilities. A plan based on a hoped-for pay increase needs a different discussion from one based on a signed employment agreement.

You can also explain how the situation affects your ability to manage paperwork or attend meetings. Ask for written instructions, smaller follow-up tasks or a support person if those would make the process more manageable. Confirm any consent arrangements with the office.

Ask questions that expose the trade-offs

Bring a short list and leave space for answers. Start with the explanation of your situation, then move to the options:

• What is the main problem you see in these numbers?
• Which options are relevant, and why might each fit or fail?
• What information do you still need before giving a firm estimate?
• Which debts, payments or people would be outside the proposed arrangement?
• What could change the payment, duration or outcome?
• What would I need to do if my circumstances changed?

Ask for unfamiliar terms to be explained using one of your own accounts. A concrete example can reveal a misunderstanding more quickly than repeating a definition.

If an answer sounds like a guarantee, ask what conditions it depends on. If a recommendation is unclear, ask for the reasoning. You are preparing to make a consequential decision, so understanding is part of the appointment's purpose.

Leave with next steps you can actually follow

Before the meeting ends, read back what you believe was agreed. Separate a suggestion, an estimate, an application and a signed commitment. Ask which stage you are at and what, if anything, changes immediately.

Write down who is responsible for each next step and when it needs to happen. Confirm what to do about any urgent notice, how to submit missing information and how to reach the office with a follow-up question. Do not assume that booking a meeting pauses a creditor deadline.

Afterward, review the notes while the conversation is fresh. Keep a list of questions you could not answer in your own words. If you are comparing another professional's assessment, use the same documents so the discussion starts from the same facts. The goal is a clear decision based on your circumstances, not finishing the paperwork as quickly as possible.