Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    propspinner8251's Avatar
    propspinner8251 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Oct 9, 2013, 06:16 AM
    Ex Wife and Inheritance
    My soon to be Ex Wife received an inheritance before we got married. She helped pay off my bills and her bills. 7 years later, we are getting divorced. Can she sue me for the cost of my bills that she paid off after divorce?
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
    current pert
     
    #2

    Oct 9, 2013, 07:30 AM
    'Can she sue me for the cost of my bills that she paid off after divorce?'
    Do you mean 'Can she sue me after the divorce for the cost of my bills that she paid off while married?'

    Generally such things are part of the divorce, and what happens to this end during divorce negotiations depends partly on where you live and the rest on how much you are willing to pay your respective lawyers to fight for you.

    Anyone can sue anyone for anything. If she sues you after the divorce and these bills hadn't been mentioned, you have a good chance of winning.
    ebaines's Avatar
    ebaines Posts: 12,131, Reputation: 1307
    Expert
     
    #3

    Oct 9, 2013, 01:37 PM
    I would say that she would lose the argument that you should repay her for bills she paid while you were maried, but everything in divorce is negiotiable. In general any assets either of you brought into the marriage and still have as separate accounts you take away in divorce. If she kept her inheritance in her own named accounts she can expect to take them with her. Same thing for any physical assets either of you brought in. But if the assets have been co-mingled it can get very sloppy. If she put her inheritabnce into a joint account with you, mingled with some of your assets, it gets really sloppy to try to undo it. And even if she kept her inheritance money separate but paid bills on your behalf she can't now try to undo it - to do so would be like requiring that every mortgage payment, utility bill, car loan payment etc that either of you ever paid for over the years has to be undone. It won't happen. The only exception is if she argues that the payments were in fact loans with expectation you would pay back. Absent a signed loan agreement with you that would be a difficult argument for her to make.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search


Check out some similar questions!

Can my husbands ex wife get my inheritance [ 2 Answers ]

I've inheritance a lot of money can my husbands exwife get it.

Am I entitled to half of my wife's inheritance? [ 3 Answers ]

My wife inherited her mothers home. We are getting divorced. Am I entitled to half of her inheritance in the divorce?

Inheritance; is wife intitled to half? [ 2 Answers ]

I am inheriting a substantial amount of money and do not wish to give half to my wife; she has a gambling addiction. Am I required, due to our marriage, to share the inheritance from my father with her 50/50?

Dad with new wife - inheritance [ 2 Answers ]

I have one question regarding inheritance. My Mom passed away in June 2002, and my Dad remarried Dec 2002. My Dad is 85 lives in California and has dementia. All his bank accounts are joined accounts with him and his new wife and he doesn't have a will or living trust setup. All his money or...


View more questions Search