What can you do if your wife refuses to help pay the bills in the house but she’s constantly running the electric and utilities up I have asked her on several occasions to help with the bills but she refuses I’m a disabled veteran and this is starting to affect my health she also refuses to maintain the home inside cleaning she works for the USPS making from 1000 to 1800 every two weeks while she is at work I watch our 4 year old and take our 2 other kids to school and pick them up and care for them until she gets home she refuses to help me with paying bills and maintaining our home she is on the deed the mortage is in my name what can I do
If you’re married and living together, there isn’t anything you can do because under the law, a marriage is considered an economic partnership and it doesn’t matter who pays what when it’s a marital expense.
If you’re separated and you’ve moved out of the marital residence, she remains in the residence, the utilities are in your name, you are not the supporting spouse, and she is not the dependent spouse, then you can have the utilities stop services at a certain date. You need to notify her of the date in which she will need to put the utilities in her name so she has the opportunity to avoid a lapse in service, especially if minor children are in her care. Doing this could have child support implications and may not be advisable in all circumstances depending on your exact child support situation.
Anna Ayscue
Attorney with Rosen Law Firm Cary • Chapel Hill • Durham • Raleigh • Wake Forest
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