Getting married is an exciting chapter for many, as it represents the fact that you’ve found the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with. However, you may quickly find that you and your spouse have different ideas of how your finances will operate. As such, it can cause tension and anger in the marriage. Eventually, you may feel like your financially irresponsible spouse has gotten out of hand despite your pleas for change. As such, you may consider contacting a Los Angeles divorce attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options. The following blog explores what you must know about how financial irresponsibility can cause a rift in your marriage.
How Can a Financially Irresponsible Spouse Impact a Marriage?
When a married couple is not on the same page regarding their finances, it can cause a significant amount of issues. If one spouse is trying to save money while the other spends recklessly, it can cause resentment and tension to grow between the parties. Additionally, if one spouse doesn’t make their payments on time or forgets about accounts they opened, it can impact both spouses’ credit, especially if it is a joint account.
What Should I Do if I Want to Divorce My Spouse?
Generally, when you want to divorce a financially irresponsible spouse, you may wonder if this alone is grounds for doing so. California does not recognize the idea of a fault-based divorce. As such, you can only list that irreconcilable differences are to blame if your marriage has gone awry.
If looking to get divorced, it’s essential to understand that you cannot hide or restrict access to marital assets owned by you and your spouse. Hiding assets during the divorce can only cause issues for you.
Though you may worry about your spouse’s reckless spending leading up to the divorce, you must understand that they could be found to have dissipated your assets. Essentially, if they rack up a significant amount of debt or withdraw money from a shared account without explaining why, the judge could order them to compensate you for their spending.
Why Do I Need an Attorney for This Process?
Unfortunately, going through a divorce can be incredibly complex and complicated, especially when there is tension surrounding assets like funds and debts. As such, it’s in your best interest to enlist the assistance of an experienced divorce lawyer.
Though many try to navigate this process on their own, ensuring you have an experienced attorney to guide you can help ensure you take all necessary steps to protect your best interest during your divorce. Additionally, your attorney will fight for you during these challenging times to help shield your assets from a reckless spouse.
At the Zitser Family Law Group, our dedicated legal team has the experience you need to help guide you through this process. Contact our team today to learn how we can assist you through these complex times.