My husband and I separated. I can’t make ends meet. I can’t catch up on bills! Should I file bankruptcy?
I am in over my head in debt. Every month I have to "borrow" at least 0 extra dollars just to pay my bills. My husband and I recently separated. He left me to take care of all the bills. Currently I am a 4th grade teacher and make about ,000 a year. That would be a great salary if I didn’t have to pay every cent to a bill collector.
Every debt is in my name (including a car that I got in my name for him, that he now refuses to pay for because someone else put another car in their name for him–his sister). I already had a car of my own. Now I have two. He didn’t have a job at the time, so most of the major stuff that we have gotten was in my name when we got married.
I am probably about ,000 in debt with credit cards; ,000 in student loans–I know you can’t put them on bankruptcy…I plan to pay them and go back to school next summer; 00 in personal loans; ,000 in car payments (2 cars–1 is almost paid for).
I have no extra income other than the child support (5 a month for 2 small babies that I raise alone). I use the child support on them instead of on me or bills because that is what it is for.
Am I an idiot for trying to pay all these bills off monthly and have no money extra to buy groceries and gas???Should I just file bankruptcy?
Whatever you do, DONT borrow more money to make ends meet. Be willing to do anything to keep that from happening. Look at all of your options before doing a bankruptcy. You may need to let one of those cars go. See if you can get a deferment on the student loans. But do the bankruptcy if there is no other way.
Edit: I wanted to mention credit counseling. And it seems to me like if your husband benefited from your debts, then he might have some obligation to help you pay on at least a few of them, if that helps. You ought to talk to a lawyer about that.
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:24 pmwhat you have to do is go back to court and file for alimony,and to raise your child support,for two children it should be 27% of his gross salary,also he should be making the payments on your mortgage,what kind of lawyer did you get?.find out about your rights,in family court.
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:24 pmNo, no, no. The last thing you want to do is file for bankruptcy. Lower your standards of living and see if you can get friends of family to watch your little ones rather than a day care. Talk to teachers at your school, see who watches their little ones. Sell the car you can get the most for (as long as both are trustworthy) and use it to pay off credit cards…which charge the most interest). Cut the credit cards, become a coupon freak….seriously.
Best of luck
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:24 pmYou can try to file a chapter 13. That helps. At least it did with me—- at 1st. Needless to say, I ended up filing a chapter 7.
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:24 pmAs for your 2 cars…. sell 1 of them. the one thats almost paid for and then take that money and pay of some or all of the other car. You can go to a debt counseling place, they help to. Also, if there is ANY credit card or bill thats in both your names…. you can always not pay them (get bad credit) and they’ll go after you BOTH. if none are in your exs name then I suggest going to debt counseling 1st. see what they come up with and if thats not plausible, then do a chapter 13… then the worst thing….. chapter 7.
sure, you might as well. you wont be alone, its all the rage right now
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:24 pm