When consumers with mounting debts get desperate, they often turn to what can seem like their last, best hope: debt settlement companies.

Those companies are taking on an increasing number of clients as more consumers find themselves unable to pay their bills. Bankruptcy filings are up 30 percent over last year, and many consumers have so much debt relative to their income that debt settlement companies decline to take them on as clients. (Credit counselors, who focus on financial literacy and rehabilitation rather than negotiating lower payments, often work on those more severe cases.)

Do you also help teach clients how to save money?
We don’t give legal advice, but we do tell people how they can save money. We go through their debts and pick which ones they should do first.

Does it hurt a person’s credit score to do that?
It can hurt it temporarily, but in the long run, it’s better to get out of debt. Around 25 percent of clients who get out of debt do it in a year or less. The other 75 percent do it in a two- to three-year time frame. It takes time to build up funds. We call clients every 25 days, whether we need to or not, to check in.

We urge people to keep one credit card [so they can build their credit score back up by making regular payments]. It usually takes six to 12 months before they can start rebuilding their score.

How much does your debt settlement service cost?
We charge 14 percent of unsecured balance you bring in, payable over 11 months, plus a $29 application fee. So for someone with a $10,000 debt, they will pay us $1,400.

Do you ever turn customers away?
When we first talk, we go over their debts and income. If they don’t have enough, we say, “You can’t afford to be in a program like ours. Maybe consumer credit counseling would be better.”