When you marry someone, do you take on all their debt, like child support and if so how can you avoid it?

Question

Is there a way to marry someone without sharing their debt, like child support, bad credit?

Answer 1

reddevilbloodymary has it nailed.

While it's not your debt and in most (but not all states) your income will not change his child support obligation, it will impact your life.

So legally, you are not obligated. However, you still get to share the baggage he is bringing into the marriage.

I would sign a pre-nup spelling out what debts you have and he has before marriage, and stipulating that the pre-existing debts any debts he incurs during the marriage that are not joint accounts are NOT to be considered marital debts. (Same for yours.) The only debts that qualify as marital debts are those you both knowingly open as joint accounts. Accounts where either of you open them and simply give the other access rights don't qualify as joint accounts as either of you could open an account and have cards issued in your spouses name but never give them the card, ultimately sticking them with 1/2 that debt if you two should divorce.

So, if he gets a bunch of credit cards, or buys a new car or motorcycle without your name on the loan contract, then the asset is his and so is the debt until it's paid off. Once paid off, it becomes a marital asset.

Answer 2

Definately listen to a few others here....your debt is your debt, his is his. If you are concerned about the amount of debt involved, sit down and hav a serious talk. Many new couples have separate checking accounts and are responsible for their individual debts and they split the joint bills. If you open up an accoun together -- then you share the debt. When child support is figured, the only thing that matters is if he has mutliple children. Your money is yours, not his ex's. For the best answer, you'll need to check with your county's child support department online. Most have the calculation online where you can plug in the numbers...don't freak out from all these answers that are making people sound like they know what they are talking about

Answer 3

The credit debt is not yours prior to the marriage but the child support that person has to pay. If you are married then are you not going to have access to each others income or are you going to pay bills and keep money separate. I would talk about this before saying I Do.

Answer 4

I hate to tell you this, but when you say the words in your wedding vows, the part for better or worse applies here. You take on their problems just like they takes on yours. If you're so worried about what he's bringing into this that you might have a problem with I'd also like you to consider this next statement. Many many women nowadays show more medical problems resulting in disability at an early age. Is that something your husband should be concerned with? If he did have misgivings about marrying you because of that - would that bother you? You love and want to marry a person for what they are not for what they have. If they have too much baggage then don't marry them, you are looking for someone that doesn't exist.

Answer 5

Marriage does make all of your money and liabilities shared by both of you. Your credit rating will be unaffected. That is specific to you. If you get a loan together your behavior on that loan will affect both of your credit ratings in the same manner, but they aren't combined.

I am pretty sure that he will have to pay increased child support (assuming you bring in an income) but if you divorced, the payment would decrease again and you would not be responsible for continuing to help with his child support.

You may not marry someone without sharing their finances. Just don't marry them. You miss out on insurance benefits but you wanted to keep finances seperate and insurance costs money.

Answer 6

You will not be responable for debt before the marriagre. As far as child support; his home would be a duel income home (living expences go down or shared) where as perhaps his ex-wife is probably struggling on one income and probably doesn't have the capacity to persue a carear full time or have the earning potential of her spouce. Also a factor would certainly be, did you get involved before sepperation and if not how long after. It's always the kids that suffer. remember...child support is to mantain a certain quality of life for the kids! As far as his debt...he probably lacks self control and maturity.

Answer 7

Yes there is but your not going 2 like it. You also get
his x WIFE & all her issues as there is a child .Your know are a Mother of some sort if thats not enought all his debt goes to you so your credit goes out the window.
Because your know mar==== so loans are in both your names.Is the hole deep enought it gets better.Sorry for the drama but that what you get went you have extra baggage. No there is not a way that i can think of.He has a problem with money & responably It's your call?????Think about it. Just my thought

Answer 8

Even if you could remain legally not responsible, your marriage would not be "free" of the debt. You should not marry someone who has proven irresponsible with money unless you don't care and you have a never-ending supply of it. A marriage is founded on two people coming completely together. I've never heard of one working out where the two are not in complete partnership.
If this is debt just a result of unfortunate circumstance, then why not wait until he straightens it out?

Answer 9

To answer your question about child support I have a cousin who's check was being garnished because her spouse was not paying child support. The governement does not distinguish any money's or bills as his or hers. He and she become they and the government says "they" will pay. You are safer if it's things like credit card bills because those will stay on your spouses record and effect them. Previous debt is their problem except for when it comes down to things like child support. But debt created while in the marriage is a problem for both.

Answer 10

because of the fact the youngster lives with the daddy, the daddy and his spouse could regularly declare the youngster on a joint return. in the event that they document seaprate returns, the spouse CAN declare your son on her separate return as a step toddler is taken care of the comparable as a organic toddler for tax purposes. I in simple terms re-examine your further info and am correcting my answer. take a seat tight for some, please. when you consider that he's the breadwinner it fairly would not count how they document, any refund could be captured. in the event that they document one after the other he would be paying plenty extra entire tax however he'd no longer be the 1st deadbeat make certain to try this out of spite -- that they had fairly pay Uncle Sam than pay for his or her very own young little ones. there is not any longer something which you're able to do to rigidity that undertaking the two, sorry. Her claiming the youngster on a separate return could be beside the point as she has no taxable earnings to be offset by utilising the exemption for the youngster. He'd pay much extra tax that way, yet returned you are able to no longer rigidity the undertaking. maximum self-employed human beings don't get funds back besides, in the event that they be responsive to what they are doing. They pay in an quantity equivalent to the earlier twelve months's tax criminal accountability and make up the version while they document. That avoids outcomes in spite of what they owe. returned, there is not any longer something which you're able to do to rigidity the undertaking. If there is an extra, this is often utilized to the subsequent twelve months's tax criminal accountability and consequently isn't concern to catch. the form you document your tax return has NO impression on their tax return so it may frequently no longer be on your perfect interest to document a separate return your self.