Understanding Spousal Responsibility for Debt
Hi, I’m Oklahoma City family law attorney Dillan Savage of Wirth Law Office. Today we are going to be talking about the complicated question of whether or not you can be held accountable for the debts of your spouse. Now, the answer, annoyingly enough, is yes and no.
So, if it is a separate debt that your spouse has accrued, you in all likelihood will not be held accountable for that debt. Separate debt could be debt that your spouse obtained before your marriage, or debt that they’ve only had in their name that you had no part of during your marriage.
When You Might Be Liable for Spousal Debt
Now, if it is debt that you have been involved with, or your name is attached to because you accrued it during your marriage, and it is considered marital debt, in all likelihood you are going to be held accountable for that debt just the same. Certain debts might be considered separate, but you’re still going to be held liable for them.
These are called necessaries, or debt that is a necessity to your spouse. This could be things like medical debt. They couldn’t avoid it, it was necessary to happen, and as such it is going to be something that you can be held accountable for regarding debt.
Summary of Spousal Debt Responsibility
So again, to summarize, it just depends on certain circumstances, but most of the time you are not going to be held liable for your spouse’s debt. Unless your name is tied to it, unless it’s under a certain circumstance, when it is their debt, it stays with them for the most part.
If you found this video to be helpful, or you believe it can help someone else, please go to TheOklahomaCityAttorney.com. My name is Dillan Savage at Wirth Law Office, and thank you for watching.
Get a Low-Cost Consultation
If you have more questions about spousal responsibility for debt, reach out to the Oklahoma City divorce lawyer today! Call 405-888-5400 to schedule your low-cost consultation and get the guidance you need.
