Divorce and Credit Card Debt
Posted By Raleigh Divorce Attorney on Aug 24, 2010 11:18am PDT
When you divorce someone, usually that means that you become independent and are no longer bound to that person, although financial matters seem to be the exception to this. In addition to child support and spousal support, even after you divorce, you may be plagued by joint credit card debt. No matter who spent the money on the credit card, if it was jointly held, you may be responsible for that debt.
Here are some tips about credit card debt when you divorce.
1. Try to pay off all jointly owned debt before you divorce. A Raleigh divorce attorney can assist you with this process.
2. If you cannot pay off jointly owned debt, transfer the debt to independent credit cards.
3. Destroy all jointly owned credit cards and cancel the accounts. You certainly don't want your spouse accruing more joint debt after you have divorced!
4. Use a joint savings account or your equity on a jointly-owned home to pay off these debts.
If you are getting a legal separation, make sure to write into the agreement details about how to handle the debt. The bottom line is, make sure that you are not liable for your ex-spouse's debt after you have divorced.
Contact a Raleigh Divorce Attorney for more information about our divorce and family law services!