What if your ex-spouse doesn’t pay the debts he or she was ordered to pay in a divorce?  Or, what happens if he or she files bankruptcy?  Do you have to pay those debts?

Chances are you had some debt when you were divorce such as credit cards, mortgage, etc.  And, some of these debts were likely to have been joint debts.  Your divorce judgment should have allocated these debts and ordered one spouse or the other to pay them.  However, the thing you need to keep in mind is that your divorce judgment is only binding on the two of you – not your creditors.  Your creditors were not a party in your divorce.  Therefore, they don’t have to follow the court’s orders in your divorce judgment.

If your ex-spouse fails to pay debts he or she were ordered to pay, the creditor can still come after you for repayment.  Or, if your spouse files bankruptcy, you are still responsible for these debts as long as your name is still on them.  If you live in a marital property state, such as Wisconsin, you could even be responsible if your name is not on the debt although that doesn’t often happen.  You do have some options, however, to force your spouse to pay these debts.

While you should seek the advice of an attorney to make sure you are as protected as you can be, it is important that your divorce judgment should at least have language included which sets forth your spouse’s obligation to pay or refinance any debt which has your name on it and to not incur additional debt in your name.  It should state that you are “held harmless” from any of these debts.  And, there should be language that states that if you are held liable for any of his or her debts, that you have the right to come back to divorce court to seek reimbursement.  There are also additional provisions which can be included to even further protect you.  Many of the standard forms for final Agreements that are available to people who do not have lawyers do not have this extra language contained in them.

Even in the event of a bankruptcy, this additional language can protect you.  A bankruptcy action discharges the debt and responsibility between your spouse and the creditor.  However, your spouse still has a responsibility to you to pay the debts he or she was ordered to pay in your divorce.  Therefore, the divorce court retains jurisdiction to enforce that obligation if your judgment of divorce grants that authority to the court.

The court has several options available to it providing that the proper language exists in the judgment.  Primarily, the court can order repayment through garnishment or can even order maintenance or alimony to compensate you for any debt you may end up getting stuck with if your ex- fails to pay.  Sometimes the court will even order a lien or the sale of an asset to pay the debt.

If you are concerned about the payment of debts, you should definitely consult with an attorney to make sure the proper language is contained in your divorce judgment to protect you in the event your spouse fails to pay or files bankruptcy.  Even if you feel you cannot afford an attorney, the long term cost to you could be much greater if you get stuck paying debts that your spouse is ordered to pay.

To discuss your concerns about debt in your divorce in Wisconsin, contact our office at 414-258-1644 to scheduled your free initial office consultation or visit our website for more information.