Well, filing for bankruptcy isn't something to be done lightly, but these kinds of situations are basically what it's there for. It's to help the person who finds herself in a situation not anticipated (job loss, illness, divorce) at the time the debt was incurred, to wipe it out and start with a clean slate. Even though the prospect feels disastrous right now, it will get you started back on the right road to getting your finances back in order. I read a lot of credit boards, and from what I understand, even though the bankruptcy stays on your credit report for a long time (7 years, if I remember right), your credit score will start improving again way before that time.
I think your lawyer, if she's been doing bankruptcy work for a long time, DOES understand what a big deal it is for you. She's there to help you, though, not to give you emotional support.
Only you can decide, but if it were me, I think I'd look toward getting things cleared up sooner rather than later and go for it.