In a Chapter 13 case, the bankruptcy court can provide relief to the debtor that a private debt consolidation service cannot provide.  For example, the court has the authority to prohibit creditors from attaching or foreclosing on the debtor’s property, to force unsecured creditors to accept a Chapter 13 plan that pays only a portion of their claims, and to discharge a debtor from unpaid portions of debts.  Private debt consolidation services have none of these powers.