How can I get my spouse's debts off my credit report?

In the United States, debt collectors may use different names such as "collection agency," "factoring company" or some other name that may or may not be understood by a consumer to be a third-party collector (and that might be used to claim immunity from the Act). However, the FDCPA broadly defines debt collectors as "any person who uses any instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in any business the principal purpose of which is the collection of any debts, or who regularly collects or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another." While the FDCPA generally only applies to third party debt collectors--not internal collectors for an "original creditor" -- some states, such as California, have similar state consumer protection laws which mirror the FDCPA, and regulate original creditors. In addition, courts have generally found debt buyers to be covered by the FDCPA even though they are collecting their own debts.