I would go back to the attorney your spouse started with and explain the situation. Of course your spouse may change her mind, but now you both...

Sounds like a scam call. It is possible to be sued for that kind of debt, but if it's that old, the first response is correct that you would...

Default ~ Limited Civil

The clerk's office in L.A. county has plenty of backlog. My guess is you tried to contact the default clerk but can't get a meaningful response....