This article provides tips for assisting clients struggling with debt incurred by an abusive partner through identity theft or coercion (coerced debt). While focusing on advice for survivors of domestic violence, similar advice may apply to survivors of human trafficking, elder abuse, abuse by caretakers for persons with disabilities, and foster parent abuse targeted at foster youth.
More detail on coerced debt is found in NCLC’s just-released 2026 edition of Surviving Debt Chapter 21 (free online; inexpensive print books available) and NCLC’s Collection Actions § 12.3 (free online).
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