Is husband liable for fines levied against wife found guilty of money laundering?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is husband liable for fines levied against wife found guilty of money laundering?
The wife laundered money through an unicorporated business. Both Fed & State have charged her, she plead guilty, & is awaiting sentencing. If there are fines levied against the wife as part of sentencing, can the husbands wages be garnished? Or is the full repayment on the shoulders of the wife?
Asked on May 19, 2009 under Criminal Law, Oklahoma
Answers:
J.M.A., Member in Good Standing of the Connecticut Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
If the charges were only against your wife, the you should not have to worry about paying for her crimes. Criminal statutes do not require a husband to pay for his wife's crimes. Therefore, you should not have your wages garnished. However, you should know that the state/govt may try to locate your wife's funds. If you and your wife have a joint account, the state/govt could levy on those accounts (i.e. take money). Therefore, it is important that your paycheck is not directly deposited into a joint account.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.