This is my personal experience: I was 46 at the time, had been married 20 years. My husband had started a new business venture; I was working and supporting him by paying the usual household bills and car payments. I agreed to be a director of the business temporarily until another person could be appointed - I had nothing to do with the business otherwise.

After a while I he began to work longer and longer hours. Then he was going on "fishing trips" , supposedly with a male friend. He would disappear and not come home for days on end.

Finally he came home one day and said the business had gone under, he was pulling out and getting a job somewhere. He emptied his office and brought home a lot of the contents. From items I found when going through them, I realised he had been having an affair.

I told him the marriage was over and he left. Then debt collectors started calling. I found out that he had somehow put me down as the owner of the business, without my knowledge or consent.

I had been made redundant from my job, and had little money left - I had been propping him up with my money. I don't like dodging debt but these debts were not mine, they were his.

I consulted a free financial advisory service, and was advised to go bankrupt. It was quick and easy.

I was able to get another job, a long as my wage was (at the time) less than $26,000. So I got a part-time job. I didn't find the bankruptcy particularly inconvenient as I had no need to apply for any loans, and did not have much personal property. After the requisite number of years - seven I think - I was released from bankruptcy and my credit history is now clean again.