Financial Considerations

Bankruptcy, unemployment, & underemployment

Can you file for bankruptcy when going through a divorce? What are your rights if your ex is unemployed or underemployed and owes you court-ordered support? Financial concerns are complex, so it is important you have an experienced family law attorney working on your behalf to help protect you from the financial decisions of your former or intended-ex spouse.

HELPING YOU  FIX IT

Bankruptcy

 

You or your intended ex can file for bankruptcy during or after your divorce. Individuals or couples can file under Chapter 7, where unsecured debt can be discharged, and non-exempt property can be seized to repay debts. The filing of Chapter 7 may delay your divorce because you cannot divide assets that will be forcibly liquidated to satisfy community property debt.

 

You could also file for bankruptcy under Chapter 13, where the court establishes a repayment schedule over three to five years, and only a percentage of the debt is repaid. A plan can allow couples to split the required repayment installments between them as part of their divorce settlement, eliminate some of their debt, and enable them to start their separate lives with a somewhat fresh financial footing.

 

Your creditors are not a party to your divorce. They are not interested in the fact that you and your ex determined an equitable distribution of debt and have assigned responsibility to one or the other party. They will continue to view the debt as equally yours if your ex ceases to pay. If you think this is a possibility, you can check the “hold harmless” box in the Final Divorce Order form, but this may not be enough to satisfy a creditor. You may find yourself paying off debt that is technically not your liability and needing to sue your ex to recover that money and your attorney’s fees.

 

Spousal support payments and child support payments are not subject to discharge in bankruptcy, which means your ex cannot get out of those payments simply by filing for bankruptcy. Additionally, if you are owed back support payments, that debt is considered a first priority, meaning it will be paid through the liquidation of any assets your ex includes as part of their bankruptcy.

 

Contact one of our Washington-based family law attorneys to help you understand the impact of bankruptcy on your divorce or divorce settlement. If you or your ex is considering filing for bankruptcy before your divorce is finalized, it is highly recommended you consult with a bankruptcy attorney to determine your best course of action.

PURSUING WHAT IS RIGHT & FAIR

Unemployment & Underemployment


If your ex thinks they can reduce their responsibilities or avoid them altogether, they will be sadly mistaken. Washington allows judges to impute income for someone who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. Imputing means the court can determine what someone should be capable of earning. That number can be used to determine child support, spousal maintenance, or the division of property. 


Imputing income does not necessarily apply to a long-term stay-at-home spouse. A family law attorney from our office can help you pursue what is right and fair while upholding the value and objectives you have discussed as being your priorities.

Financial Considerations

STAY UP TO DATE

Subscribe to our newsletters

 
Subscribe to one or more of our newsletters, delivering meaningful insight on topics that matter to you and your family.
ebl home subscribe image

FURTHER READING

Blog Posts

A skilled and experienced Seattle family law attorney details tips and tricks for Washington state single parents.

A Seattle estate planning attorney can guide unmarried couples who plan on owning real property together in Washington state.

A skilled Seattle family law attorney details five facts Washington couples need to know about committed intimate relationships.

A Seattle estate planning attorney can guide you on using transfer-on-death deeds to avoid probate in Washington state.

A skilled and experienced Seattle family law attorney details the warning signs of financial infidelity you can't afford to ignore.

A compassionate Seattle family law attorney can provide guidance about divorce issues related to caring for a special needs child.

A compassionate Seattle estate planning attorney can provide guidance about creating an estate plan if you discover you're dying.

An experienced Seattle estate planning attorney can provide understanding about what happens to debts after you die.

If you and your partner reside in Washington state and are unmarried, you each might qualify for the legal protections availed to you by law by classifying your relationship as a committed intimate relationship.

Family law and estate planning often intersect. This is particularly true when contemplating divorce, remarriage, or blending families.

If you have a significant amount of money saved, you might be considering giving some of it away while you are still alive via what is known in estate planning jargon as a living inheritance. Depending on your desires, you can give your beneficiaries a portion of or all of the inheritance you intend to give them.

Estate planning is commonly associated with preparing for asset distribution and financial management in the event of the estate plan owner’s incapacitation or death. However, an estate plan can protect more than just people and what they have worked so hard during their lifetimes to build. A carefully crafted Washington state estate plan can also protect pets.

Despite being divorced, you may still be able to collect social security benefits through your ex-spouse. Even if you went through a high-conflict divorce or are not on good terms with your ex-spouse currently, they cannot stop you from collecting these benefits if you are eligible. Likewise, your ex-spouse does not need to permit you to apply for social security benefits or have previously completed an application themselves.

If you live in Washington State and have an estranged family member, are you worried about them contesting your will after you die? Well, don’t worry quite yet. There are a variety of criteria an individual must meet to contest a will in the state of Washington.

Depending on your situation, there might also be measures you can take as you revisit your existing estate plan or create a new one to cause them to think twice about doing so. Here is what you need to know about whether an estranged family member can contest a will in Washington state.

When parents go through a divorce, child custody can be one of the hardest issues to deal with. But increasingly in American households, pets are part of the family, and separating can create similar concerns over who gets the family pet.