>can anyone file fro bankruptcy, or is this only relevant to certain
>kinds of debt, for instance?
In the U.S. right now, it's easy to file for bankruptcy - over 1 million people do every year, the highest rate (relative to population) in our history. No surprise, since personal debt levels are also at records. Not all kinds of debt can be "discharged" (as they say) in a bankruptcy - tax debt, student loans, and child support can't be wiped away. But the major cause of bankruptcy today is credit card debt, and unless the creditors can prove outright fraud (and they rarely even bother to try), that can be wiped away completely. You might have a bit of trouble getting credit afterwards, but not as much as you might fear.
The credit industry hates this, which is why it's been pushing a tightening of the code. So far, different versions have passed the House and the Senate, with the House the nastier bill, but they haven't yet resolved their differences.
Doug