do I have to pay girlfriends debt?

[powerlineman]

California. I have been living with and supporting my girlfriend for over a year. She is going through a nasty divorce and has a lot of credit card debt. She is unemployed and has no money. Like I said I am supporting her. And now her husbands lawyer is saying they are going to come after me for her debt! How can they do this? Do they have a case?

 

[quincy]

California. I have been living with and supporting my girlfriend for over a year. She is going through a nasty divorce and has a lot of credit card debt. She is unemployed and has no money. Like I said I am supporting her. And now her husbands lawyer is saying they are going to come after me for her debt! How can they do this? Do they have a case?

It doesn't sound like they can collect from you the debts incurred by your girlfriend, but they can always TRY to do so. What sort of debts does the husband and his lawyer think you can be held responsible for, and why do they think you are responsible?

 

[latigo]

California. I have been living with and supporting my girlfriend for over a year. She is going through a nasty divorce and has a lot of credit card debt. She is unemployed and has no money. Like I said I am supporting her. And now her husbands lawyer is saying they are going to come after me for her debt! How can they do this? Do they have a case?

Are you absolutely certain of what you have asserted here? That a lawyer is claiming that you are financially responsible to his client for his wife's credit card debts?

How could even she be liable to her husband for her credit card debts?

I don't know if there is more to the story than revealed, but the law is very clear (in fact universal in this country) that in order to hold a person liable for the debts of another there must be written evidence of the alleged undertaking or promise signed by the person sought to be charged with such a financial responsibility.

The only way I can conceive of any liability on your part were if these credit card debts are classified as marital debts (and most likely they are) in which the husband is equally liable and you directly benefit from charges made to the account(s).

 

[anearthw]

Could very well just be a tactic to scare you off and make your life miserable. This happens when your sweetheart is married. Was this a letter from an actual lawyer or random phone call?

 

[LdiJ]

Are you absolutely certain of what you have asserted here? That a lawyer is claiming that you are financially responsible to his client for his wife's credit card debts?

How could even she be liable to her husband for her credit card debts?

I don't know if there is more to the story than revealed, but the law is very clear (in fact universal in this country) that in order to hold a person liable for the debts of another there must be written evidence of the alleged undertaking or promise signed by the person sought to be charged with such a financial responsibility.

The only way I can conceive of any liability on your part were if these credit card debts are classified as marital debts (and most likely they are) in which the husband is equally liable and you directly benefit from charges made to the account(s).

Even then, I don't see how he could be made liable. He is not a party to the divorce. I could see how the wife could be made responsible for wasting marital assets on her boyfriend, and I could even see how in a separate civil case he could possibly be made responsible to his girlfriend for the debts...but responsible in the divorce case? There is no logic there.