{"id":7270,"date":"2024-11-04T08:36:05","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T08:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/am-i-responsible-for-my-estranged-husbands-debt\/"},"modified":"2024-11-04T08:36:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T08:36:05","slug":"am-i-responsible-for-my-estranged-husbands-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finderica.com\/?p=7270","title":{"rendered":"Am I Responsible for My Estranged Husband\u2019s Debt?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dear Penny,<\/span><\/p>\n

My husband and I have been separated for many years. He made many bad financial decisions after we separated. Will his debt be my responsibility if he dies before me?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 Til Debt Do Us Part<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Dear Til,<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re responsible for your husband\u2019s debt (now or after he dies) depends on where you live, whose name is on the account, and whether you\u2019re legally separated or simply estranged.<\/p>\n

A minority of states in the U.S. follow a principle called community property<\/i><\/a>,<\/i> which means you share equal responsibility for all property and debt either spouse acquires while you\u2019re married and living in that state (which includes Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin).<\/p>\n

In this case, a legal separation stops you from sharing responsibility for new debt your husband takes out in his name, though physical estrangement doesn\u2019t automatically do so.<\/p>\n

If you live in any of the 41 other states, your property and debts fall under common law<\/b>, which means you and your spouse own property and debt separately \u2014 i.e. you are not and have never been responsible for debt in his name.<\/p>\n

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