What’s the deal with married people being responsible for each other’s debts, even ones they incurred before they got married? In most states, are married people really considered to be like one person when it comes to financial matters? I mean after all, you’re not “one person” until you get married, so how would you be responsible for past debts of someone before you even met them? I have heard of this before, but always found it hard to believe. It seems so outdated in this day and age, that banks, credit card companies, Sallie Mae, the IRS etc. would actually dun a spouse for debts incurred by the other spouse before marriage. I always assumed that this is what some people believed who didn’t know that it’s not like that anymore. However, from responses I read to a recent AskMe, it would appear that this is still normally the case. How many people are even aware of this before they get married?
I understand the motive all right…if one spouse can’t pay, we’ll just make the other one cough up this money that they never even spent in the first place. So where’s the hue and cry from an outraged public? Why would many people even WANT to get married?!
Regarding this topic, are you safe with the IRS as long as you file separate tax returns?
Should people in debt go to certain states to get married? If so, why haven’t I ever heard of people doing this?
Original text: Should people in debt go to certain states to get married?