3. Letters from your lender's solicitor
The solicitor will usually send you a letter giving you seven days to either pay off all of your arrears or make a proposal for doing so. This letter is sometimes referred to as Notice to Quit. While it may say that you have 7 days to repay or leave your house, it is in fact the first stage in the legal process of taking possession of your home.
If you have been sent a Notice to Quit, your lender’s solicitor can begin court action without any further warning if they are not satisfied with your response. Try to negotiate at every step of the way and get help from your local Citizens Advice or Housing Options Team if you're not confident doing this on your own.
The court is more likely to be sympathetic to your situation if you've made a real effort to sort things out before legal action begins, even if you weren’t able to come to an agreement with the lender.