The fact that you have taken the trouble to visit the creditor in order to try to come to some arrangement will also count in your favour, both with the creditor, and later with the court if the matter ends up going for arbitration. You will also be producing an opportunity to present your arguments in far greater detail than would otherwise be possible, and of showing whatever documentary support for your arguments that you may have, and will be able to respond to objections as they arise and hopefully to deal with these in turn.

Of course, you will need to concentrate on projecting the right impression, and should spend some time before the visit in preparing the arguments you intend to use. As ever, the most promising line to take is that although you cannot settle the debt right away, and no amount of pressure is going to make you do so, you firmly intend to repay the debt if you are given sufficient time.

Your line of argument is likely to be far more acceptable if you are in a position to offer some slight increase in any payments you may be making, or if you can begin making some small payment if you have not previously made any. If the debt is of some age, and you judge that the creditor would like nothing more than to get the matter over with, this may be a suitable opportunity to offer to settle the debt for less than the amount outstanding (see Reduced Offer of Settlement later in this guide).

Whatever the outcome of such a visit, you have little to lose other than your transport costs. The fact that a creditor even agrees to such a meeting shows that there is some room for manoeuvre, and even if the meeting seems less than productive at the time, is likely that the creditor will be slower to take any drastic action against you than he might previously have been.

This article is an excerpt from The Complete Guide to Debt. Visit My Debt Free Life.co.uk for more information on getting out of debt as well as Debt Consolidation Loans and ways to get your creditors to legally write off your debt!