Timescales
How long it lasts
Understand the usual 48-month trust deed contribution period, possible extensions and the difference between final payment and formal discharge.
Scottish trust deed library
Scottish trust deed guides
Explore Scottish trust deed guides covering eligibility, fees, assets, creditors, payment changes and discharge. Find the answer for your stage.
Use these guides to prepare for a conversation with a qualified Scottish debt adviser. Start with the basics, check the consequences before signing, or find practical next steps for an existing trust deed. These guides are information, not a personal recommendation.
Understanding trust deeds
Benefits & risks
Benefits & risks
Weigh the benefits and risks of a protected trust deed: creditor protection and discharge alongside fees, asset risks, credit impact and commitment.
Protected status
Creditor objections
Learn the five-week Scottish trust deed objection period, the number-and-value thresholds, and what happens if a trust deed is not protected.
The basics
Protected trust deeds explained
Understand what protected status means in Scotland, how a trustee manages the arrangement and why signing alone does not guarantee debt write-off.
Debt types
Debts that can be included
Check how a Scottish trust deed treats credit cards, loans, arrears, secured debts and excluded liabilities, and why new debts are different.
Before you sign
Compare Scottish options
Scottish alternatives
Compare a protected trust deed with Scotland’s Debt Arrangement Scheme, sequestration and informal repayment, with questions for an independent adviser.
Before choosing
Choosing a trustee
Use a practical checklist to compare Scottish trust deed providers, verify a licensed insolvency practitioner and understand fees, assets and referrals.
Credit & borrowing
Your credit record
Understand the six-year credit record, borrowing and mortgage implications of a Scottish trust deed, and what to check after discharge.
The process
How to get started
Follow the Scottish trust deed process, from free advice and documents to the consideration period, creditor objections and confirmation of protection.
Eligibility
Who can qualify?
Check the Scottish trust deed eligibility factors: debt level, income, affordability, insolvency status and assets. Learn what an adviser must assess.
Fees & affordability
Costs & monthly payments
Understand Scottish trust deed fees, monthly contributions, affordability reviews and the questions to ask before accepting a payment proposal.
Income & benefits
Benefits & trust deeds
Understand why benefit-only income matters for Scottish trust deed suitability and what to discuss if your household receives benefits and earnings.
Work & income
Work & self-employment
Check employment contracts, company directorship and self-employment issues before signing a Scottish trust deed. Prepare the right questions for your adviser.
Household finances
Joint debts & your partner
Learn why a Scottish trust deed does not automatically protect a joint borrower, and what to check about shared debts, budgets and property.
Property & belongings
Your home, car & assets
Learn how a Scottish trust deed can affect home equity, joint ownership, vehicles and other assets, and what to get in writing before signing.
Living with a trust deed
Resolving problems
Complaints & disputes
Find official routes for a Scottish trust deed complaint, organise your evidence and distinguish a service complaint from a legal review or appeal.
New money & assets
Inheritance & windfalls
Find out what to do before spending an inheritance, compensation payment or other windfall during a Scottish trust deed, including after final payments.
Public records
The public insolvency register
Learn what Scotland’s Register of Insolvencies records about a trust deed, how it differs from a credit file and how to check your status.
Payment difficulties
Missed or unaffordable payments
Know what to do if Scottish trust deed payments become unaffordable, how to explain a change and why stopping payments can have serious consequences.
Payment reviews
Annual reviews & income changes
Prepare for a Scottish trust deed annual review, including income evidence, changed living costs, pay rises and requests to change contributions.
Finishing a trust deed
Completion
Completion & discharge
Understand Scottish trust deed discharge, the final payment, continuing asset administration and the records to check when your arrangement finishes.
Your next step
Understand your options.
Then decide with advice.
A trust deed is a significant commitment. Free, independent debt advice can help you compare the Scottish options.