Sandy ,sure I will offer my advice.You probably won't like it much , but here it is. First , Your husband seems to have created this problem by trusting his family, That is mistake number one. Never never never trust anyone especially family when it comes to money. The results you have seen yourself. Question, do you have equity in your home? If so how much ? , enough to cover the debt you owe?Do you have any other assets? You really need to face a general fact so you can deal with it better. You are probably going to lose your home so you might as well sell it if you can and get something from it. At the very least you could try and repair your credit rating by paying off some of your creditors. You could try to negotiate with them. Some times people pay off large debt at a fraction. Some creditors just like getting things resolved. Next, I personaly would try to place a lien on anything that my brother now owned. There is no way he should be able to get away scott free. If the law says he can then the law is wrong and the law needs to be changed. Lastly , I would hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Start looking around for a place you can afford. Sorry the news isn't better , John