My husband has unpaid medical bills from a serious illness and i was wondering if those will negatively affect my credit report. we keep everything seperate and have nothing in joint name but we live in texas, a community property state.
Spouse's medical debt in community property state by: Mary
Thanks for getting in touch.
Texas is a community property state, which means that both spouses are generally liable for any debts they incur together or separately during their marriage. This means that not only may your spouse's medical debts show up in your credit histories, but also that any non-exempt assets you acquired during your marriage (including the funds in your bank accounts) could be at risk should your spouse's creditors get the court's permission to go after those assets to collect what they are owed.
Given the impact of your spouse's unpaid debts on both of you, I urge you to find a way to pay them off if you can. Have you tried setting up payment plans and/or trying to settle the debts for less than what is owed? You may also want to get a consultation with a bankruptcy attorney. The attorney will look at your finances and advise you as to whether bankruptcy is a good option for you.
