Thank you for responding to my questions.
You wrote:
Personally, I'd go with the last option and do what it takes to pay the thing off. Tell your husband to stop being stubborn - they're going to get their money regardless, so you might as well be cooperative and see about getting your account thawed.
You say it's a combination of credit cards and medical debt. Which creditor has frozen your checking account? The same one who filed the garnishment?
Pay off whichever is going to make your life easiest to get off your back - if that sum only covers getting your checking account unfrozen, go with that.
With whatever is left, make payment arrangements with the other creditors and STICK TO THEM.
I agree with the last option too, but I do have some concerns.
Yes, a lawyer who has the credit card debt has filed the garnishment. I can't currently meet his payoff requests so the account is frozen. I just paid off 2 checks I had written during this "freeze" that got caught between the deposit of my SSD and my husband's payroll that week.
Now I can concentrate on resolution.
Because we have not filed any bankruptcy paperwork yet, do I understand you correctly:
? acceptable to file taxes rebate & unclaimed fund $
? consider the 1500 we would have given to lawyer for bankruptcy another amount to apply toward debt?
? target the one credit card/lawyer judgement with garnishment for my first payoff?
? what about husbands concern that we will use this money to meet the screaming demands of this one and then another will jump in and freeze us again/garnish again before we can make another move?
? my question: can this money be retained for the garnishment? I know his payroll is effected, my SSD money is not, but what about $ from the sources I outlined?
Thanks so much, meg

