Debt help
Help when debt gets serious
Plain-language guides for the hard moments: a collection letter, court papers, a garnishment, medical bills in collections, or cards you can no longer pay. Each one starts with what to do first and where to find free legal help.
01 of 05
A letter from a debt collector
How to check a collection letter, dispute it in writing and ask the collector to prove the debt.
02 of 05
A lawsuit or a garnishment
What the court papers mean, the deadline, and who can help for free.
- Debt helpSued by a debt collector: what to do firstSued by a debt collector? Find your answer deadline, check the debt, raise defenses like an old debt, and get free legal help. Legal information, not advice.
- Debt helpWage garnishment: how it works and how to limit itHow wage garnishment works after a court judgment, the federal limit on what can be taken, the exemptions you can claim, and where to get free legal help.
03 of 05
Bills you cannot keep up with
Medical bills in collections, and credit cards after a hardship or a layoff.
- Debt helpMedical debt in collections: what to doMedical debt collection laws as of October 2026: credit report rules, the No Surprises Act, hospital financial aid, state rules, and what to do before you pay.
- Debt helpCan't pay your credit cards? What to do nextBehind on credit cards or just laid off? What happens as payments are missed, hardship programs, unemployment help, and how the main options compare.
04 of 05
The rules where you live
Time limits on debt, courts, garnishment and bankruptcy, state by state.
05 of 05
Who is contacting you
Guides to the big debt buyers and collectors, and how to check that a letter is real.
Next step
Want to talk it through?
A real person picks up the phone. Or check your state and see an illustrative estimate first. Nothing is signed until you say yes.
Four short steps
Your estimate first. Contact details last.
- 1How much you owea close guess is fine
- 2What kinds of debtpick all that apply
- 3Which state you live inchecked before anything else
- 4Your estimate, then a real person if you want one