Sands & Associates

Sands & Associates: Licensed Insolvency Trustees in British Columbia

Sands & Associates is a firm of Licensed Insolvency Trustees operating in British Columbia and serving both individuals and small businesses. Its work focuses on advising on and implementing legal solutions for people with debt problems, from credit card debt to taxes, payday loans or student loans.

The firm presents itself as an association of corporations licensed as Licensed Insolvency Trustees and states that it has the most extensive network of personal insolvency offices in the province, according to its own description. It also notes that it has received the Consumer Choice Award for Business Excellence in several years.

Consumer Proposals, bankruptcy and consolidation

The main service is the Consumer Proposal, a legal mechanism that allows debt to be consolidated and reduced without interest and legally writes off most consumer, business and even government debt. The firm explains that, through this instrument, debt can be reduced by up to 80%, according to the approach set out on its website.

The second route is personal bankruptcy. Sands & Associates stresses that the decision to file for it rests solely with the debtor and that no creditor can prevent a person from seeking the protection offered by Canadian insolvency legislation.

The third line of work is debt consolidation, which the firm presents as a range of options that vary according to each person's situation. Among the alternatives it mentions are consolidation without the need to take out a new loan, debt write-off or forgiveness, protection from creditors and interest-free repayment plans.

Client profile and situations handled

The firm serves people facing different debt situations: those who can only make the minimum payment on their debts or cannot even do that, those who regularly rely on credit cards to cover everyday expenses and those suffering harassment from creditors or government debt claims. It also serves small businesses.

The approach it describes is not to judge the client and to help them understand their rights and the available solutions. The company sums up its positioning with the phrase "Debt Smart with Heart" and states that it has been serving British Columbia since 1990.

Free consultation and advisory process

The first step Sands & Associates proposes is a free consultation with a professional. There, the team analyses the client's situation, listens to their concerns and goals and assesses the applicable debt options. The firm maintains that in about 30 minutes it can assess the financial situation and set out a plan to get out of debt.

In addition to in-person service, the firm offers the possibility of meeting with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee from the client's home. The website also includes a debt options comparison tool in which the user enters their total debt amount, excluding mortgage and car loan, to obtain a list of alternatives.

Office network in British Columbia

Sands & Associates operates from a network of local offices to serve residents throughout British Columbia. Among the locations where it declares a presence are Abbotsford, Burnaby (Brentwood and Metrotown), Chilliwack, Colwood, Cranbrook, Duncan, Kamloops, Kelowna, Kitimat, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Newton, North & Central Vancouver Island, North Vancouver, Penticton, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Revelstoke, Richmond, Squamish, Surrey, Terrace, Vancouver, Vernon, Victoria and White Rock.

The firm also publishes support content for its clients, such as credit rebuilding resources, a debt study, a blog, a video gallery and consultation preparation materials. Its website is available in Chinese, Spanish, Punjabi and Korean, in addition to English.