Is a husband legally responsible for his wife's medical debt in collections?
Question Details: My wife and I recently received a jointly-addressed letter from a collections agency regarding an unpaid account my wife has with a local medical provider. The collections agency threatened to provide negative information on both of our credit reports. I (the husband) have never agreed to be responsible for this debt, and the treatment was also covered solely by my wife's personal insurance policy. Is it legal for the collections agency to report this on my credit report as well, and not just on my wife's?
Many state have a "family expense" statute which provides that necessay health care rendered to a spouse during a marriage is a joint obligation of the parties. Therefore, your question, "Is it legal" depends upon state law. I would do some research or contact the local bar association to see if they have a reduced consultation fee program that might answer your question in your juristiction
