No, debt settlements absolutely do not have to be made all at once to eliminate your debts. However, you are open to being sued from the time you stop paying your credit cards until the time the debt is settled. Because the clock is ticking, we try to prioritize which debts to settle first so as to minimize your risk, so although your debts do not have to be settled all at once, we like to see it done in less than 24 months.