Divorce Legal Services Divorce Legal Services is a family law firm centrally located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Marital Money Matters - Credit Married people can apply for credit individually or jointly. If you take out a loan or a credit card in your name only, you are responsible for the debt. Likewise, if you both co-sign for a loan, you are both responsible for repayment.
Marital Money Matters - Debt Liability In general, spouses are not responsible for each other's debts. Each spouse may obtain a separate line of credit and borrow money separately in his or her own name
Marital Money Matters - Taxes If you file a joint tax return, you are both responsible for payment of all the taxes owed on the return. If you file separate returns, you are each responsible for your own taxes. In other words, whoever signs the return is responsible for the tax bill.
Marital Property Property is anything that makes up wealth: real estate, money, personal possessions, investments, pensions, etc. Married people own property in which they have exclusive ownership rights as individuals (separate property) or in which they both have ownership rights (marital property).
Marriage - Community Property Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington follow a different system. They are "community property" states. In these states, the income earned and property acquired during marriage are shared equally by both spouses, even if one spouse earned all the income.
Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico This table links to the marriage laws of the states and attempts to summarize some of their salient points. Those interested in the marriage law of a particular jurisdiction should review its law directly rather than rely on this summary which may not be fully accurate or complete.
Premarital Agreements A premarital agreement is a contract between two people who are about to marry. The contract defines the rights and benefits that will exist during the marriage and after (in the event of divorce).
Same-sex Marriages Marriages between two people of the same sex are currently legal only in Hawaii. In all other states, couples must be of the opposite sex to form a valid marriage.
