I haven't received a call in two business days, and I’m feeling very nervous about what might happen next. My biggest fear is that my funds will be garnished or frozen, leaving me unable to provide for my children.

To summarize: I cosigned a vehicle loan for my ex-partner under duress. My ex stopped making payments, and the car was repossessed and sold. The lender contacted me two weeks ago; I provided them with my ex's updated contact information, though they already had it on file. The deficiency balance is approximately $11,000. I am considering calling them this week to see if I can defer payments until September. I could potentially afford $250 a month starting then, but I really don’t want to be responsible for this. My ex earns about $4,800 a month and hasn't made a car payment in eight months, meaning they should have significant savings.

I want my ex to take responsibility for this debt. Should I contact the lender now to set up a payment plan and stall for 60 to 120 days? My hope is to settle this in the divorce and have the court order my ex to pay. I know that even with a court order, someone still has to pay the lender, but stalling until September would put me in a much better financial position.

Any advice?