Divorce After Obtaining a Degree in Texas

 Posted on February 27, 2024 in Divorce

It is a fairly common situation for a spouse who has just graduated with an advanced degree to promptly divorce the spouse who supported them through school. Students who are pursuing a doctoral or professional degree often rely on their spouse for financial support while they focus on their education. You may have worked and paid your family’s bills so that your spouse could be a full-time student, believing that once they graduated, they would be able to earn more money to support the family. If your spouse instead divorces you, you might be left feeling as if you have been cheated or scammed. You cannot keep half of their medical or law degree like you could other valuable marital property. You cannot earn the income their P.H.D. will bring them. However, they may be claiming that half of their student loan debt is your responsibility. In this situation, it is very important to be represented by a highly experienced Collin County, TX, divorce lawyer.

Am I Liable for My Spouse’s Student Loan Debt? 

There are a number of factors the court may consider when deciding whether to hold you responsible for your spouse’s student loan debt. First, if your spouse took on the debt before you got married, you are highly unlikely to be responsible for the premarital portion of their student loan debt.

It also matters how your spouse spent their student loan funds. If they only used their student loans to cover direct educational expenses, like tuition and books, the court might view that debt as their separate debt since they are the only one who benefited from that debt. However, if your spouse used their student loan money to pay for your housing, bills, or grocery expenses, it is more likely to be seen as marital debt since you did benefit from those funds.

What if I Paid For My Spouse’s Degree? 

If you made valuable contributions to your spouse’s advanced degree, while their degree itself cannot be considered a marital asset, their increased earning potential could be. Your contributions to their earning potential can be considered during your divorce. You may have sacrificed opportunities for yourself to help your spouse go to school. In some cases, the court may find that you are entitled to reap some of the benefits of your spouse’s new high-paid career if you enabled them to earn the degree they needed to enter their line of work.

Contact a McKinney, TX, Divorce Attorney

The Ramage Law Group has the legal skills needed to protect those who are getting divorced after supporting their spouse through school. Our dedicated Collin County, TX, divorce lawyers will do all we can to ensure that you receive a fair outcome. Contact us at 972-562-9890 for a confidential consultation.