Be up front with everything. Once you get married, it's probably gonna be debt under both your belts. My husband and I are trying to pay off $7,500 that he owes from school from before we were even together. That is something we have to get rid of so that we can worry about starting fresh.

i would contact your creditors and make arrangements for payments and get the outstanding debts off your credit report as soon as possible. if you were uninsured or a student when you racked up those medical bills, consider talking to the hospital billing department and negotiating down your bill due to financial hardship ~ some hospitals will do this. then contact the three credit bureaus (equifax, transunion, experian) once the debts are paid in full (submit proof of payment) to have those items removed from your credit report. if your debts are huge, you may want to contact a credit counselor. i have recommended them to my homebuyer clients with BCD credit and good ones are miracle workers ~ they can negotiate past debts on your behalf with creditors. their rates are reasonable and they generally charge per credit repair item. in a worst case scenario, you could also consider a debt consolidation company (e.g. credit solutions) that will settle your debts and you enter into an agreement with them to pay off your debts in manageable monthly payments. your prior debts wont affect your fiance if you get married, however, bad credit can be limiting if you want to buy a home together, for example. and if you pool your resources together, your burdens may become his burdens.

The only debt I could accept as a spouse would be student loans and maybe a car and house. If you have any consumer debt you should not get married or you should do a prenup.