Would my future wife be liable for any debts owed or obligations i incurred before i ever met her? Is there any way to protect her if i should die?

Since your date of marriage would be after your debt was incurred, you should not have a problem with your new wife being responsible for your current debt.  Make sure to use separate credit cards for each of you. Depending on the size of the debt, you may want to repay it or do a bankruptcy to get rid of it.  For this you should speak with a bankruptcy attorney who can advise you as to your specific situation. In order to protect your new wife, if you were to pass away or become incapacitated, it would be wise to have a Will, Trust (if you have real estate in CA) and Powers of Attorney prepared by an Estate Planning Attorney.  He/she can go over your specific situation and prepare the documents needed to protect both you and your new wife.