Company Voluntary Arrangements – Advice From A Expert

In the past, if a business was insolvent and didn’t have enough money or assets to pay its debts, there was little alternative to the company going into receivership, or liquidating the business to repay the creditors. However, these days, the government and the banks are keen to try and help companies in trouble, and a Company Voluntary Arrangement may provide a better solution to debt problems, and help more businesses to survive.

Companies can propose a Company Voluntary Arrangement to their creditors, as a method of formally agreeing how long it will take to repay their debts, and how much they are going to repay. If the creditors accept the CVA, and the company that owes the money keeps up with the payment schedule in the arrangement, there are a number of benefits.

A Company Voluntary Arrangement allows the company to keep trading, while it is protected from any further action by its creditors to recover the money they are owed. This is the case for as long as the business keeps to the terms of an agreed CVA. CVAs are less expensive, and make debt-repayment easier for a business to manage, than if the company went into Administration or Receivership. Creditors also prefer Company Voluntary Arrangement to possible Liquidation, as they are likely to get more of their money back, even though the business may actually be able to reduce the debt it owes by agreeing a CVA.

A business needs at least 75% of the people it owes money, to agree to a Company Voluntary Arrangement for it to become a legally binding arrangement. Once this happens, the other 25% of creditors are also covered by the Arrangement, whether they voted for it or not. A CVA needs to be a fair offer to creditors, to pay back as much as is possible, while still ensuring the long-term viability of a business. This is why it is important to try and make sure a Company Voluntary Arrangement works for all parties.

While many businesses might see Company Voluntary Arrangements as a last resort, they are usually a much better alternative for companies and creditors, than Receivership or Liquidation. CVAs are designed to give companies some protection while they rebuild their business, and at the same time, make sure that creditors receive a reasonable amount of the debt that is owed to them. You should always get advice on problems with business debt, and whether a CVA may be the appropriate solution, as soon as you possible, to make sure you can take advantage of all the options available to you.

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