In certain instances where individuals are going through the trauma of battling personal debts, bankruptcy may be the best solution to secure a debt-free future. It is a court-based procedure, where the debtor can either petition to be declared bankrupt or have it forced on them by a creditor.
A trustee takes control of the assets and will sell them to pay off as much of the overall debt as possible. The trustee has extensive powers of investigation so trying to hide assets can have disastrous consequences.