One of the often-unintended consequences of divorce is the burdensome debt that was formerly handled by two, now to be handled by one. Creditors hold both spouses liable for debt incurred during the marriage. Any agreement between the spouses regarding who is responsible to pay the debt need not be recognized by the creditor.

To avoid bankruptcy, one must become acquainted with bankruptcy law. You must determine you income/expenses and your assets/liabilities. If you have the ability to fund settlements with the creditors, you should avoid bankruptcy.

Other than just paying you debts in full, one option to avoid bankruptcy is to compare debt consolidation with debt negotiation. Debt consolidation is a payment plan in favor of your creditors to pay the debts in full over time with interest. Debt negotiation, however, provides for discounted cash settlements, which are customized to you ability to fund.

Most people are unaware of the possibility of negotiating with creditors to reduce the amount of money they owe them. I recommend that you seek out a professional - one who is not emotionally involved - who has experience handling creditors to give you a fair assessment of what the outcome of this strategy might be for you. In addition, arrangements can be made to minimize the negativity on your credit report.