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Originally Posted by allie052060
Hi - I'm new here, and I'm in a tough situation... my divorce was final in January, but we're all still living in one big happy home (not!), because I can't afford to move out until we reach settlement. The reason we HAVEN'T reached settlement is we're fighting over the credit card debt and the date of financial separation. The credit cards are all in my name, and there's a significant amount of debt. The monthly payments have gotten out of control, and I'm having trouble paying. Several people have suggested consolidating, and my lawyer gave me the go-ahead... if i can consolidate at a lower interest rate and less monthly expenditure, then I should do it. I just don't know where to turn! Any advice? 
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You are going through a difficult time and I admire your resolve for repairing your credit and taking financial responsibility for yourself.
I believe that it would be a good idea for you to consolidate. If you have mounds of credit card debt, those high, varying interest rates are not good for your cause of trying to pay down your debt. So consolidating will help you accomplish your goal of obtaining lower interest rates and reducing your monthly payments.
If you do have a steady income stream, you should try the consolidation method that does not use a loan. With this method, the consolidation officers negotiate with your creditors in order to lower your interest rates on your various forms of unsecured debt (credit cards). This will allow you to normalize the varying interest rates on your cards. In effect, it will help you attack the debt more directly because you will actually be paying your bill and not the interest alone. If this sounds right for you, you should contact 877-No debt-8. They will be able to assist you with obtaining this type of service.
However, if you are not capable of making the monthly payments using the other method, you should consider consolidating through a loan. Some of these companies require collateral in order to obtained. I do not know how much collateral you would be able to offer for this type of loan after the divorce. Other companies will just base their loan on your work salary and your credit score. So, if you feel that you would meet these requirements, you should consider this form of consolidation.