There are different types of debt management companies. The largest charge no fees and get paid by a rebate from the credit card companies for arranging voluntary agreements. These companies don’t advertise but are recommended by CAB etc. The ones which advertise are just sharks which charge fees for a service you can get for free and have no interest in sorting out the problem in your best interests.

On our last skiing holiday we shared a chalet with the CFO of one of the legit companies and it was quite an insight into the industry….

Don’t stick it on the mortgage unless you can help it. £25k of unsecured debt (the cc company’s problem) suddenly becomes £25k of secured debt (your problem). As stated previously, speaking to CCCS could be a good call.

If u love her , you said it for better for worse ,its only money my wife’s a **** when it comes to shopping but I guess I knew that when I married her

To the OP: I’d struggle with the deceit myself, but only you can decide on that one. I was screwed over by a gf many years ago and the truth was a lot more than she first admitted to…

I’d get professional advice, both on your marriage and on the finances. If she racked up the debt I would have thought it’s only fair for her to sort it out (esp if she has her own source of income from the business) so not sure of the rationale for it to be loaded onto the (shared) mortgage.

Good luck…

@rajboab Did this ever get resolved? I couldn’t stand for this, I don’t think even love would make me take the hit as well as her but then again I guess you don’t know until you’re in the situation. An IVA seems like the good option here. ‘Individual’ being the operative word here. It will help her out a lot and I suppose the role you’d take here is support, and nothing more. Here explains an IVA pretty well (UK). Or here for trust deeds (Scotland). Either way, good luck.