Question

If my ex spouse and I share a car and I file for bankruptcy, will his credit be affected?

Will my ex spouses credit be affected if I file for bankruptcy? The only asset we still have shared ownership over is a vehicle that he actually uses. My name is still on the car and I don't know if this will affect him. What should I do?
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Answered By: Janet A. Lawson Bankruptcy Attorney
If there is no equity in the car there should not be any problems. If he is a co-debtor he can keep making the payments.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/21/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Bankruptcy Law office of Bill Rubendall
A non-filer will not have credit impaired due to someone else's bankruptcy.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/21/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Bird & VanDyke, Inc.
If you file for BK and you continue to make timely payments it should not affect him. As a co-debtor he must be notified of your filing.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/21/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Law Offices of Joseph A. Mannis
It could, but you can't let that hold your life hostage. If you need to file, you probably should, as its going to happen anyway.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/20/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Carballo Law Offices
If the car loan is being paid timely then the credit of your ex spouse will not be affected by your bankruptcy although his credit report will indicate that the car loan is involved in a bankruptcy case by one of the persons on the debt. That, however, will not affect your ex spouse's credit so long as the car payments are on time.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/20/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: The Schreiber Law Firm
You do not state whether there is still a car payment and a car loan still outstanding. As long as he makes a car payment, the bankruptcy would not affect his credit. The bank may requires that you sign a reaffirmation agreement however, which means you remain legally responsible for payment despite the bankruptcy. If there is no loan, or if there is equity between what the car is with and the loan balance, then you need to be able to protect that equity with applicable exemptions.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/20/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Law Office of Larry Webb
No, but the ex-spouse may end up responsible for the entire debt.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/20/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Answered By: Law Office of Harry L Styron
You haven't said whether the car is still financed, and this makes a difference. It also makes a difference whether the car was awarded to him in the dissolution. If there is no financing and the car was awarded to him then you can simply transfer the pink slip to him. If otherwise then the situation is more complex and you should consult a bankruptcy attorney with the details.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 10/20/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

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