Dominic & Emily's Story

Real People, Real Debt, Real Solutions

Prioritizing your family's needs over your financial goals.

Ten years after Dominic and Emily (not their real names) were married and moved to Pickering, their son Joseph was born.

‘Little Joe’ was the joy of his parent’s lives. Unfortunately, as he grew, it became clear that something was wrong. Eventually, Joe was diagnosed as severely autistic. His doctors believed he would require ongoing care and supervision for the rest of his life.

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Emily gladly dedicated herself to providing the full-time care that her son needed. Both she and Dominic believed it was the best thing for ‘Little Joe’ and their family. However, it meant also that she could not bring in the second income that she and Dominic had come to rely on.

When Joe was old enough to start school, Emily thought she could work outside the home again. Unfortunately, the school could not always manage Joe, and Emily had to pick him up several times throughout the week. As a result, working even part-time was an impossibility.

Thankfully, the Pickering couple received some financial assistance from the Ontario government to care for their son. Still, Dominic and Emily found themselves slipping further and further into financial difficulty. After a while, they could no longer keep up with their debt payments and began to receive collection calls.

On the advice of a friend, they sought the help of David Sklar & Associates.

Here's how David Sklar & Associates was able to help Dominic and Emily reduce their debt payments

During their first meeting, Dominic and Emily met with Trina Powell (Licensed Debt Counsellor) for an in-depth review of the finances.

Including government assistance, the couple brought in a total income of $45,000 and had unpaid debts of $30,000 across four credit cards. In addition, they owned no assets whose value exceeded Ontario bankruptcy exemption levels. As a result, they would have to give up little or no possessions to cover their debts if they chose to file bankruptcy.

However, Dominic and Emily wanted to repay their creditors as much as possible. After exploring their options with Trina and their trustee, they decided that filing a consumer proposal was the ideal solution. By choosing this option, they could negotiate with their creditors to repay only a portion of their current debts.

trina powell licensed debt counsellor david sklar

Trina Powell

Licensed Debt Counsellor

Here's how much Dominic and Emily were able to save by filing a consumer proposal

With the assistance of David Sklar & Associates,

Dominic and Emily submitted a proposal to their creditors to repay $18,900 worth of credit card debt.  This amount was a sizable discount from their existing obligations of $30,000.

But creditors accepted the offer, as they would receive far less if the couple were forced down the path of bankrupcty. The agreement was a win-win for everyone involved. In particular, Dominic and Emily were happy to be relieved of tremendous financial pressure, allowing them to focus on caring for their son.

Under the proposal’s terms, they would pay $315 for a period of 60 months, which they could easily manage compared to their debt payments before filing their proposal. In total, they cut down their credit card debts by 37%.

As part of her Consumer Proposal, Freda attended two financial consulting sessions, where she learned valuable money management skills. After years of relying on her husband to take care of the finances, followed by years of hanging on by sheer willpower, Freda was glad to finally come to the point where she had the knowledge and independence to take control of her own life.

To protect our client’s privacy, aspects of this case study have been altered.

Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels, Photo by jonas mohamadi

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Find out how much you can save with our Consumer Proposal Debt Calculator

Use the slider below to tell us how much you owe and we will show you how much you can save!

*This calculator simply provides an estimate of the total savings you could receive filing a consumer proposal. Actual results may vary as each financial situation is unique. Your actual payments will be based on your income, assets, and debts.

Do Not Include Mortgage or Car Loan Debt.

$10,000 $250,000

With a consumer proposal at 0% interest, you will only have to pay back:

$3,480/$58 per month

*This calculator is for demonstration purposes only. Your results may vary based on your unique financial situation.

David Sklar & Associates is here to support your financial recovery

Learn how we can help you find debt relief with a consumer proposal or personal bankruptcy. Our passionate and experienced team at David Sklar and Associates has helped thousands of individuals break free from crippling debt payments. Our experts can answer any questions about your debts and recommend a solution based on your unique needs and goals. 

Let us help you pave the way for a brighter financial future, starting with a free, no-obligation consultation

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Kelly Silke
Kelly Silke
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Trina Powell is an excellent listener and completely non judgmental. She truly cares for her clients and goes out of her way to be available and to help even when that means she has to accommodate last minute life changes. She is incredibly smart and kind and takes the time needed to explain everything from start to finish. She is an incredible human being and only wants the absolute best for everyone she helps. The work she does is life changing and improving. I highly recommend her services and support to anyone else who is struggling with their debt loads to seek out her help. Trina will absolutely be there for you too and help you just as excellently as she did for me. I cannot say enough good things about her or the amazing work she does. Her patience, empathy, understanding, and dedication make her the absolute best. You should absolutely trust her with your life on the road to moving forward. Don’t be afraid you’re not alone and Trina will help you too.
Sheri Stevens
Sheri Stevens
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I am so grateful to Jackie Stanley with David Sklar & Associates. She has listened and worked with me to come to a reasonable solution. Jackie has provided so much information, walking me through everything. I couldn’t ask for a more patient, kind and understanding person to help me. I look forward to working with her through my time with David Sklar & Associates.
Bob Irvine
Bob Irvine
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Jackie Stanley is an extremely personable, friendly and professional representative with David Sklar & Associates. Her customer service skills are exemplary and her knowledge with regards to my situation and helping me with getting my life back on track was just amazing. She was very understanding of my issues, and took her time to make sure that I understood everything. At the end of my meeting with her I left feeling emotional but relieved to know now that my life can finally move forward. Jackie, you have been a great asset in my life and I will never forget your kindness. Mr. Sklar I would just like to say that you have a 5 Star representative in your associate Jackie Stanley. Respectfully, Bob
David
David
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After seeing your commercial play on CP24, I realized that it addressed all the questions and concerns I had about my financial situation. It all started with my one phone call to your office. I had the extreme pleasure of working with Cori Naron at your St. Clair West office in September 2022. She took the time to explain what my options were knowing that it was a very stressful situation with my debt load. She made me feel at ease with my decision to file a consumer proposal and outlined the benefits to me. She is thorough and her attention to detail is outstanding. While it takes a little while to reap the benefits of making this hard decision, she took the time to reassure me that it was in my best financial interest. Well done David Sklar & Associates for having such an amazing representative at your company and for allowing me to "get a fresh start"!
Christopher Rakobowchuk
Christopher Rakobowchuk
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Jerry Janiec is very knowledgeable and very helpful everything he explained to me was straightforward and very easy to understand. I'm very pleased to be working with Jerry to become debt free. I will definitely be recommending to any friends or colleagues your services. Thank you again for helping me get on the road to be debt free. 5 Stars is well deserved.
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Getting into debt is easy. Getting out is a different story.

But it's still possible!

Did you know there is a Canadian debt relief program federally regulated by the Canadian Government, designed to help citizens avoid claiming bankruptcy? This amazing program can only be administered by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT).

If you’re struggling to make your payments every month and creditors won’t stop calling, we can help.

What our clients are saying.

Based on 830 reviews
Luc Valade
Very processional and understanding of my situation. Thanks to all your team.
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Thomas
Jennifer Norton's exceptional assistance with my consumer proposal was life-changing. Her professionalism, expertise, and dedication were evident from the start. Jennifer's thorough explanations and attention to detail created a tailored proposal that set a clear path to financial freedom. She went above and beyond, advocating for my best interests and providing invaluable support. Thanks to Jennifer, I'm on track to a stress-free financial future. I wholeheartedly recommend her – she's not just a financial expert; she's a life-changer. Thank you, Jennifer!
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Ray Barkley
They made a difficult situation, easy thank you.
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fukinwith doug
I had a great experience with Christine from David Sklar & associates. Very professional, and easy to get through. Thank you
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Adrian Downey
Great customer service and a smooth process to get your finances on track. Informative and thorough.
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P Bains
From the moment I sat down in the office, I felt welcome and at ease. Grace Cuffaro was both friendly and highly informative. She is extremely knowledgeable and answered all of my questions in detail, making sure I understood before moving on. I was reassured throughout the process that I was making the right decision and that it was not uncommon nor anything to be ashamed of. I didn't expect my appointments to be such positive experiences, but that's exactly what they've been!
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A.L Thompson-Lawrence
I was in a tough financial position and found myself searching for relief. I came across David Sklar & Associates page when doing my research on financial advice. The reviews were amazing, but I was concern because I didn’t know what to expect. I made the decision to set up a consultation and had the pleasure to meet with Jennifer Norton. Right from the beginning, she was attentive, knowledgeable, and pleasant to meet with. The experience was painless and very educational. Jennifer made sure I understood my choices, answered my questions, and concerns promptly, in person, over the phone and via email. I’ve been working with Jennifer for a couple months now and I am pleased that Jennifer is the manager handling my file. I would and have recommend Jennifer Norton, David Sklar & Associates to anyone in need of direction regarding finances.
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Tamas Wint
I had my first meeting with Jennifer, she was really understanding and extremely helpful, and got everything done in a timely manner.
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