Hey Erin. I am a little confused about my requirements about paying the bills of my wife. She had an affair on me and will be getting no alimony. She now has a job and I assume since she has moved out of the house, that I do not have to pay any of her bills? One bill in particular is leaving me puzzled. Our homeowners and automobile insurance has just recently been paid for the full year. I want to talk her off the automobile insurance but cannot without having her sign something. So I guess I will be getting my own policy b/c I do not want to be responsible for getting sued if she gets into a bad car accident. Is this advisable? Also, what about the homeowners insurance? Should I take her off that even though she still on the mortgage?
To recap: 1) Am I responsible for any of her bills since she has moved out?
2) Should I take out my own automobile insurance?
3) What do I do about the homeowners insurance?
Thank you!
You may obtain your own policy for auto insurance and are within your rights to do so. Make sure you inform your wife of your plans and have the address changed to her new address for the existing policy.
The homeowner’s insurance should remain as is until the home is either sold, or re-titled in your sole name.
Thank you Erin. And am I correct in thinking that I am not responsible for ANY of her bills? Thanks!!!
NC has a law entitled “the doctrine of necessaries” which states that a spouse may become liable for certain necessary items if purchased on credit with the creditor having no knowledge of the separation. Practically speaking however, you are not going to be held to the fire by creditors for bills in her name.
Last question I promise ;~)
Do I wait until we are officially divorced or do I contact my health insurance company and let them know that we are living separately? Basically, I know she will go on COBRA (at least from what I understand) but I guess she should not be on my health insurance.
Thanks.
Since there is no “legal separation” in North Carolina, most plans do not recognize a physical separation as a life changing event and will not allow you to remove your spouse from your plan until you can prove she has procured her own insurance, or until you are legally divorced.