What should you do if you're almost a year behind paying a 730 credit card debt that you started when you lived in Connecticut and you currently live in Texas and a law firm has contacted you?

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of the specific laws in Connecticut or Texas, but I do work for a collections law firm and I hope to give you some helpful advice. If a law firm has contacted you, make sure that they are licensed to practice in Texas and that they know that you no longer live in Connecticut. I wouldn't necessarily give them your new address if they don't already have it (I would make them track you down). Having an account placed with a law firm isn't necesarily entirely bad. Sometimes, you won't be charged late/overlimit fees, you might be given a lower interest rate, and you might be able to get better settlements. This all depends on the creditor and the firm. If they decide to sue, they must do so in the county in which you currently live. They must serve you a summons. If it's to this point, the absolutely first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with the FDCPA and the laws governing garnishments and judgments in the state of Texas (since that's where you currently reside). Don't worry, debt collections is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. You have NO CHANCE of going to jail, even if you choose to not show up for court (the creditor would be given a default judgment, however). I don't mean to give you advice on how to avoid or combat paying your bills, but there are things that you should know and do to help protect your assets. If a creditor has placed your account with an attorney, I would definitely seek some advice from a local counselor via free consultation (if possible) that is tailored to your specific situation. I don't want to give you false hopes or misinformation, but if I remember right, Texas is a "no collect" state. I'm not certain what this means, but I would definitely look into that.