Legal Question in Family Law in New York
Divorce with extensive debt
Married 11 years, own house
together, with little/no equity in the
home. The house would need a lot of
updates to make it functional/to sell.
No children. I have about $50K in
student loans and together we have
about another $50K in credit card
debt and other personal loans. He
makes twice what I do but has no
interest in saving or paying down
debt aggressively. Since I make so
much less than him, I am finding it
very difficult to leave the relationship,
knowing that I would have to take
my student loans and my share of
the debt with me and I earn under
$40K annually. Just looking for an
attorney who has had similar cases
for advice. Filing for bankruptcy isn't
really an option for me, as I am an
accountant and that would severely
hurt my career. Alternatively, can
two people living in the same house
(but in separate rooms and living
areas) get a divorce (although I think
that would make the situation much
worse)...
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Divorce with extensive debt
In regards to property/debts - an extensive review is needed to determine what debts and what assests are marital assets (meaning joint assets) and as such are subject to an equitable distribution. Also, you might be entitled to a maintenance support from your husband even after you divorce.
for divorce - one of the grounds to file for divorce may be constructive abandonment of one spouse by another.
You should propably seek professional help on this matter.
Good luck.