Is there a way for us to file bankruptcy from here or come back and file bankruptcy so this whole mess would just stop?

Your wife's parents have rights and the bill collectors have the right to call them no more than once and then only to obtain information about your location. They have absolutely no responsibility for your bills. Your in-laws should contact a lawyer in the state in which they live. That lawyer can write a letter to any collection agency who is contacting them demanding a full, complete and total cessation of any contact. If contact continues after such a letter, your parents can sue the bill collectors for their misconduct. As non-residents of the US, you neither need nor are able to file a bankruptcy. You could return, re-establish residency, file for bankruptcy and then go home. But the cost of trouble would far exceed the cost of the above. If you feel guilty about the trouble your actions have caused your in-laws you should volunteer to pay for the lawyer they hire.

You must be a resident here to file.

There are state and federal laws that prevent creditors from harassing people such as your family members and even yourselves. You should have an attorney address a letter to any creditor who continues harassing you or your relatives. You may be entitled to damages if the harassment continues.

Question: Is there a way for us to file bankruptcy from here or come back and file bankruptcy so this whole mess would just stop? Question Detail: I am a European citizen and my wife is a US citizen. We lived in Florida for 12 years working in the hospitality business and once the economy just became really bad, we both lost our jobs. We decided to leave to Europe. Since then we are living in Europe. We consulted a lawyer before we left who assured us that even if we leave some unpaid credit card bills nothing could really happen to us. Eventually, the banks will write off their losses. By now, I am sure that the few thousand we left grew in to a substantial amount. However, in the meantime the debt collectors started harassing my wife's parents. We were not very close to them. They live in New York and in 12 years, we only met three times. Is there anything we can do to stop the debt collectors calling my in-laws, since they have very little to do with any of this? What other possibilities are there for our case? Thanks.* - You can write to these creditors and demand that they cease and desist from making any further contact by phone; they will still have a right to send you stuff in the mail, but at least you can stop the harassing phone calls *