Bankruptcy

In Northern Ireland you can only be declared bankrupt by the High Court in Belfast.

After you have presented the High Court with a bankruptcy petition, and the Court decides that bankruptcy is appropriate, you will be declared bankrupt using a bankruptcy order.

Bankruptcy petition

The bankruptcy petition is usually presented either by:

• yourself (as a debtor's petition); or
• a creditor who is owed an unsecured debt of at least £5,000 (as a creditor's petition)

Bankruptcy forms

To petition for your own bankruptcy you need two forms, Form 6.30 (debtor's petition) and Form 6.31 (statement of affairs) - both are available to download from the Insolvency Service website.

Bankruptcy orders

A bankruptcy order can still be made even if you refuse to acknowledge it. You should therefore co-operate fully once the bankruptcy proceedings have begun.

You do not have to be present at the court when your bankruptcy order is made.

If you live or have lived in Northern Ireland over the past 3 years, a bankruptcy order can be issued against you.

Bankruptcy notice

Once the bankruptcy order has been made a bankruptcy notice will be placed in the Belfast Gazette (an official publication) and in the Belfast Telegraph.

Written notice will also be given to a number of other organisations.