Cricket Debt FAQs

1. Why is Credit Counseling Necessary?

   Current Bankruptcy law requires that all consumers wishing to eliminate debts under Chapter 7 or 13 take part in credit counseling from a United States Trustee approved non-profit credit counseling agency. This counseling must take place within 180 days prior to the consumer filing for bankruptcy protection.

2. Where is Cricket Debt approved to offer Credit Counseling Completion Certificates?

   Approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. (Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an Agency’s services.)

3. Is Cricket Debt Counseling a Non-Profit Organization?

   Yes. The U.S. Trustees Office requires that all Budget and Credit Counseling Agencies be non-profit, and Cricket Debt is in compliance with that requirement. And Cricket Debt Counseling has received approval from the I.R.S. as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

4. How much does the counseling cost?

   Cricket charges a flat $36 fee for single and joint married debtors. If you are providing your bankruptcy services to your client pro bono, then Cricket will waive its fee as well.

5. Do you offer Attorney Member Accounts?

   Yes. If you sign up for an account with us you will get an Access Code that you can give to your clients to use when they sign up for our course. This will ensure that you automatically receive an emailed copy of your clients’ Certificates as soon as they have completed their counseling. You will also receive a personalized Instruction Sheet, with your Access Code printed on it, that you may give to your clients so they know exactly what they will need to do to complete their counseling with Cricket Debt.

6. Is there any fee for a Member Account?

   No. There is no fee or obligation of any kind associated with a Cricket Debt Member Account.

7. Is a Member Account required?

   No. It is only provided for your convenience, and an Access Code is not required for your client to create an account with us. Just keep in mind that if your client signs up without your Access Code then you will not automatically receive a copy of his/her Certificate. Of course, your client can always instruct us to email or fax a copy of his/her Certificate to you at no additional charge.

8. What kind of access will I have to my clients’ counseling information?

   You will have complete access. Our disclosure statement to our counseling clients makes it very clear that, if they log in using their attorney’s designated account, then their attorney will have full access to the information they enter. This includes their progress in the counseling program, the data they have input in response to our budget analysis, and duplicate copies of their Certificates.

9. How will my clients pay for their counseling?

   You have total flexibility in setting up your Member Account. You can have your clients’ counseling fees billed to your credit card, or you can require that your clients pay Cricket Debt directly. Either way you’ll still automatically receive a copy of their Certificate if they signed up using your Access Code.

10. Will you bill me for the Certificates for my clients?

    In order to keep our administrative costs to a minimum we only accept payment by credit card. If you have selected the option to have your clients’ fees charged to your credit card, you will only be charged after your client has completed counseling, and once his Certificate has been emailed to your designated email address. Please review the attorney service agreement for terms regarding handling of client funds and payment of our Counseling Fee.

11. Can my client pay for his own counseling directly?

    Yes. We accept payment by online check, as well as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

12. How long does the counseling process take?

    The program has been designed so that it will take approximately 60-75 minutes to complete the counseling. Clients may pause and save their places at any time, so they do not need to complete the counseling in a single sitting. They can stop for any reason, and simply pick up where they left off whenever it is most convenient for them.

13. Do you offer counseling in any other languages?

    We have translated our materials into Spanish, Romanian, Chinese, and Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese. If you have a large volume of clients who speak another language please feel free to contact us to discuss the possibility of getting our material translated into other languages.

14. Are you open to adding additional features to your site?

    Absolutely. Our goal is make your job as easy as possible. If there is anything we’re not doing, or any information you would like to see on our web site just let us know.

Solid Start FAQs

1. Why is Debtor’s Education Necessary?

   Current Bankruptcy law requires that all consumers wishing to eliminate debts under Chapter 7 or 13 successfully complete a Debtors Education course from a United States Trustee approved agency prior to discharge of their debts in a bankruptcy proceeding.

2. Where is Solid Start approved to offer Completion Certificates?

   Solid Start Financial is approved to offer Certificates in all Judicial Districts under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Trustees Office.

3. How much does the counseling cost?

   Solid Start charges a flat $24 fee for single and joint married debtors. If you are providing your bankruptcy services to your client pro bono, then Solid Start will waive its fee as well.

4. Do you offer Attorney Member Accounts?

   Yes. If you sign up for an account with us you will get an Access Code that you can give to your clients to use when they sign up for our course. This will ensure that you automatically receive an emailed copy of your clients’ Certificates as soon as they have successfully completed their course. You will also receive a personalized Instruction Sheet, with your Access Code printed on it, that you may give to your clients so they know exactly what they will need to do to complete their course with Solid Start.

5. Is there any fee for a Member Account?

   No. There is no fee or obligation of any kind associated with a Solid Start Member Account.

6. Is a Member Account required?

   No. It is only provided for your convenience, and an Access Code is not required for your client to create an account with us. Just keep in mind that if your client signs up without your Access Code then you will not automatically receive a copy of his/her Certificate. Of course, your client can always instruct us to email or fax a copy of his/her Certificate to you at no additional charge.

7. How will my clients pay for their counseling?

   You have total flexibility in setting up your Member Account. You can have your clients’ counseling fees billed to your credit card, or you can require that your clients pay Solid Start directly. Either way you’ll still automatically receive a copy of their Certificate if they signed up using your Access Code.

8. Will you bill me for the Certificates for my clients?

   In order to keep our administrative costs to a minimum we only accept payment by credit card. If you have selected the option to have your clients’ fees charged to your credit card, you will only be charged after your client has successfully completed counseling, and once his Certificate has been emailed to your designated email address. Please review the attorney service agreement for terms regarding handling of client funds and payment of our Counseling Fee.

9. Can my client pay for his own course directly?

   Yes. We accept payment by online check, as well as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

10. How long does the course take?

    The client must spend at least 2 hours taking the course. This is mandated by Federal regulation. Clients may pause and save their places at any time, so they do not need to complete the course in a single 2-hour block. They can stop for any reason, and simply pick up where they left off whenever it is most convenient for them.

11. Do you offer the course in any other languages?

    The Debtors Education course is available in English and Spanish.

12. Are you open to adding additional features to your site?

    Absolutely. Our goal is make your job as easy as possible. If there is anything we’re not doing, or any information you would like to see on our web site just let us know.