Help! being sued by sallie mae

Hello.

My name is James. I owe about $90000 in student debt to Sallie Mae. The semester I was going to graduate, the company pulled my funding so I wasn’t able to finish my degree. It’s been almost 12 years and I haven’t heard from Sallie Mae except for the incessant and excessive requests for more money than I have ever had, and I didn’t get to finish my degree, so I earn slightly below federal poverty wages. Now, my mother passed away recently, who was a cosigner, and the company is collecting legally, with a law firm. They extended an initial offer of settlement, but I can’t afford $20k cash and obviously have no credit and also have no major assets except my mother’s estate, which is pending and taking a REALLY long time, since she has no will.

So
I need legal help. I have a bankruptcy lawyer whose been in practice for 60 years, whose extremely reputable who says he will represent me, as well as a paralegal, but I want to know what options I have, and what I can do.

I honestly want to see this company die for what they did to my family and to me, so I’m not inclined to settle, but I don’t want to be running for the rest of my life.

I need consultation. Can anyone offer me help?

-James Dolan