questions pls help.

[mariamena]

Married for 3 1/2 years. each own a house prior to marriage. we live now in my husband house wich is paid off. my house is rented. i was the provider in the house from the beggining, my husband hasnt work for long and is now collecting unemployment, he is 60. Im working. 2 years ago my husband got a loan against his house for 50,000 (to pay off old debt prior to our marriage)and asked me to sign the documents because it was a "florida law" that both spouses sign the docuemnts, otherwise he would file for bankrupcy and that would have affected my credit score. He insist that even if we divorce I wont be responsible for that money (I never got a penny from it). Right now, my husband is in debt for over $60,000.00 , there is another credit card calling to collect $950.00 (2 months he hasnt paid). I want out, I never knew how my husband expend the money he charged on the credit cards. We do not have bank account together, neither credit card together. I want to do my divorce w/o an attorney. Can I.Please help.

[The Divorce Center]

Whether or not you are liable (by the bank) for the loan on your Husband's home will depend on what you signed. Whether or not you will be expected to contribute to the loan based on it being a marital liability is more complicated. There is a presumption that the debts and liabilities that were created during the marriage, our subject to an equal distribution - regardless of whose name the debt is in. There are exceptions to this presumption.

To answer your question, can you get a divorce without an attorney? Yes, but many times you can lose more money then you save by trying to handle this on your own. At a minimum, I would consult with an attorney prior to making your decision to handle this on your own.

Attorney Brian Arrighi
The Divorce Center
Tampa, Florida