What to do about debts in my wife’s name?
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What to do about debts in my wife’s name?
My wife has 2 credit cards ($2500 total owed). She has since had a major stroke and is in a nursing home so Social Security is going to them; no longer coming incoming in. Is she still liable to pay these? Am I liable to pay them? I am not on the applications at all. How should I handle this situation?
Asked on August 1, 2011 Kansas
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
You need to write the two credit card companies about your wife's health situatuin keeping a copy of the letter for future reference. You need to ask for a payment plan to pay off the $2,500.00 total owed by your wife.
Potentially under the laws of your state, since you are married to your wife and if she incurred this debt while married to you, under community property laws of your state you could be very well responsible for paying off this $2,500.00 amount even though the debts are in your wife's name, not yours.
Since your wife applied for these credit cards, she is liable to pay them even though she is in a nursing home,
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