Over spending

I have full custody of my three 17 year old children. They love their step mother because she is buying them almost everything they want. Every month we go deeper into debt. I already blocked all my Credit Cards, I could do this because they are in my name only. Her credit rating is very poor, in the 400’s, and therefore she cannot get one of her own. We do have a joint checking account with overdraft protection. How can I legally prevent her from overspending using our overdraft protection? Soon it will be maxed out anyway.

We still live together, because she refuses to leave the house,( she tells me that I should leave, because that’s what some of the kids and she want), as mentioned the kids are legally mine, not hers. We both would like them to finish High School in the town we currently live in.

She is unemployed, and this is a short term marriage, less then two years. I realize that I will need to provide for her for a period of time, maybe one year to get her on her own feet again.

What options do I have?

It is a joint account, so she can do as much as she wants to with whatever funds are in there. You can try to remove the overdraft protection, but I am not sure if the bank will allow this if she is not agreeable to it. If she has been the dependent spouse during the course of the marriage, then you may be responsible for either/both post-separation support and alimony.