Divorcing- can spouse get more than half of the house sale?

[griffith07]

Long story short I live in alaska and am getting a divorce. We are selling the house and my spouse says I owe them $10,000 dollars from the $40,000 we will pocket from the sale of the house. I have been unemployed for the past year so all of the improvements to the home have come out of their pocket.

Do they have any legal standing to say I owe them that money. They also say that I owe them for the cell phone, internet, utilities, food, and all that kind of stuff for the past year but is willing to not add that if i just give them the 10,000. Basically they want 30,000 of the 40,000 profit.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Long story short I live in alaska and am getting a divorce. We are selling the house and my spouse says I owe them $10,000 dollars from the $40,000 we will pocket from the sale of the house. I have been unemployed for the past year so all of the improvements to the home have come out of their pocket.

Do they have any legal standing to say I owe them that money. They also say that I owe them for the cell phone, internet, utilities, food, and all that kind of stuff for the past year but is willing to not add that if i just give them the 10,000. Basically they want 30,000 of the 40,000 profit.

Have the bills been paid? If so, your spouse isn't going to be reimbursed.
Is the house jointly owned, and for how long?

 

[griffith07]

Yes it is jointly owned for 3 years and the bills have been paid every month on time.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Then (s)he'll probably get half.

 

[single317dad]

I would tell the spouse to pound sand.

In fact, I would tell the spouse that the division of proceeds from marital property in equitable distribution states is not necessarily 50%, and very well could be more than half in favor of the person who isn't working and has no immediate prospects of doing so!

But, yeah, I'mTheFather's probably right; (s)he'll probably get half.

 

[griffith07]

Do you think there is any chance I will have to pay for the last years worth of bills? It seems like this is going to be a dirty slugfest.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Do you think there is any chance I will have to pay for the last years worth of bills? It seems like this is going to be a dirty slugfest.

Not if they've already been paid.

 

[single317dad]

Do you think there is any chance I will have to pay for the last years worth of bills?

Probably not. Were any of these funds borrowed, either jointly or separately? Is there any written agreement between you?

It seems like this is going to be a dirty slugfest.

Seems like it. Let me guess, you've just recently decided to get divorced?

 

[griffith07]

No, no agreement that I would have to pay any of the bills.

 

[griffith07]

One thing i forgot to mention... I moved out for 3-4 months for the last year and during that time my spouse made about 5k in improvments on the property. Will me moving out for a short while affect whether i owe anything? Still no written agreement... they paid all the bills while i was not living there.

 

[Just Blue]

Long story short I live in alaska and am getting a divorce. We are selling the house and my spouse says I owe them $10,000 dollars from the $40,000 we will pocket from the sale of the house. I have been unemployed for the past year so all of the improvements to the home have come out of their pocket.

Do they have any legal standing to say I owe them that money. They also say that I owe them for the cell phone, internet, utilities, food, and all that kind of stuff for the past year but is willing to not add that if i just give them the 10,000. Basically they want 30,000 of the 40,000 profit.

Please define who, exactly, is the "they" "their" and "them" in your divorce with your STBX?

 

[LdiJ]

Please define who, exactly, is the "they" "their" and "them" in your divorce with your STBX?

The poster is trying to be gender neutral...hence the they, their and them instead of him or her.

 

[Bali Hai]

Please define who, exactly, is the "they" "their" and "them" in your divorce with your STBX?

Only a divorce court judge would ask that question.