Once upon a time people who did not pay their personal debts were sent to prison. That was just one of the interesting things Michael Brogan spoke about at the launch last Friday of Dealing with Debt in the Campbelltown arts centre.
Mr Brogan was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book, which was written by Christina Pirina, the principal solicitor at the Macarthur Legal Centre.
He pointed out that so many people were sent to prison for not paying their debts, in 1819 a debtors’ prison was built in Sydney.
It wasn’t until 1843 that a new law, the Insolvency Act, abolished prison as a punishment for those who did not pay their debts.
As Mr Brogan pointed out, while prison was out, debt continues to be a huge challenge to this day.
Thus he commended the book as a “very accessible publication’’ for anyone having debt problems and not knowing where to turn to next.
It was a point author Christina Pirina also made in her short speech.
“It is very important that people in debt have easy access to tools that help them deal with their debts, and that’s what the book does,’’ Ms Pirina said.
“It started as an update, but we decided it was important to include all types of debt,’’ she said.
Dealing with Debt: A legal guide to personal debt in NSW, to give it its full title, offers a guide to the best way to deal with debt.
It includes topics such as the different types of debt, how to prioritise debts, where to go for help and how to deal with court action, among others.
There are even sample forms and letters to help negotiate the best outcome for your situation.
If you’ve got debt problems right here, right now, this book would be a good starting point before taking the next step.
It’s available in every library in NSW, including here in Macarthur and online as well, if you prefer.
Indigenous elder Aunty Joyce welcome to country
