Overwhelmed with cc debt and only part time contract jobs

[Diana2021]

Any advice is much appreciated! 

 

I graduated with my masters in Aug 2020 and havent had a full time job since Dec 2019. My mom was laid off because of covid in March 2020 and I stopped making payments to credit cards after graduating from my masters (Sept 2020) because my student loans stopped coming and my mom could barely make her own mortgage payments. Since Sept 2020, Ive severely damaged my credit and am now in over $27k cc debt. 

 

I've since moved to Europe and don't plan to come back to the US, at least not for several years, to pursue lower cost education here. 

 

I don't know how to proceed with my cc debt because I've been told since my credit is already tanked that it wouldnt matter if I pay off my debt, attempt to lower my 23-25% interest rates on my 9 credit cards, or try to negotiate a lower payoff. 

 

I work part time remotely for a client in the US but the work is random and not guaranteed. The most I've made since I started with her in Dec 2020 was $1100 a month. 

 

I contacted a debt consolidation law firm in the US but they want to charge me a $750 retainer and then $600 a month for 36 months to pay off my cards. Im waiting to hear if they guarantee these cards will be paid. 

 

No idea how to proceed and feeling overwhelmed because I want to do the right thing but Im drowning in interest rates and have called two banks to talk with them only to be yelled at and shamed. 

 

Do you have any advice for me?