Am I protected from my wife’s post-separation spending?

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Am I protected from my wife’s post-separation spending?

My wife and I separated about 2 months ago, and, since then, she has gone on a spending spree, racking up over $10K in credit card debt in a matter of weeks, which is well more than our family of 4 was living on. I had removed myself as an authorized user from her cards before the spending started. However, as she has no job and is living off of money from me, that doesn’t include enough for these kinds of monthly payments, I worried that the debts are going to come back to haunt me and my children. Since I had removed myself from her cards and the debts are post-separation, am I protected?

Asked on July 24, 2012 under Family Law, Maryland

Answers:

FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

If you have not filed a formal petition for legal separation in the local county court house with respect to your spouse, you very well could be held jointly and severally responsible for the debts of your spouse post separation.

As such, I suggest that you consult with a family law attorney to ascertain the best way to protect yourself financially in the future.


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