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Did you give your spouse a chance to correct before you file for divorce?

(38 Posts)
Mende Thu 29-Jan-26 04:56:44

I know this is not a U.S based forum but I really want to ask the older people whom experience in life, if you can help. Me and my husband we both 41, and we in the U.S

Please before you call me selfish.

Community Property States: In states like California, debts incurred during marriage are often considered joint, household income and marital property could be used to satisfy the debt.

My husband for the past 4 years and counting (insert till the day she die) he has been cosign as the party to financially responsible for his mother debt, and has been paying for ALL his mother debt.

She default on all her debt, debt collector couldn't get any money from her so they go after him for money, because he cosign as the the responsible financially for anything of his mother, financial wise.

Knowingly me being married to him, his debt he cosign take on for his mother will become my debt. He for the past 4 years disregard me and make the decision over and over to sacrifice me for his mother.

Yes, sacrifice me, because this has getting to the point we have to sale our martial home in order to have enough money to pay off his mother debt. Meaning the husband him rather let the wife me be homeless, just so he can fulfill his filial to his mother.

btw, he very clear he will continue cosign his mother debt until the day she die.

I refused to submit to this. I did NOT sign up in this marriage to financially support his mother.

I am fed up, I want a divorce, and already contact a lawyer, and has an appointment to see the lawyer.

Nothing wrong with him being filial, but be single and cater to his mother all he wants including take on her debt for the rest of his life. But don't drag the wife me into this, I did NOT sign up for this.

Should I even try to save this marriage?

Mende Sat 31-Jan-26 22:46:10

@Rosies

I was told by @Wyllow3 I should go ask elsewhere (this is UK forum) and was lecture on that my answer (to another poster) that the cost of the medical facilities has nothing to do with my OP.

I feel it has everything to do with my OP. And I answer the question to the other poster in how I feel it fit to explain my answer.

If you feel my post is snippy, please feel free to report it to the Moderator and let the Moderator come here and read the whole thread.

BlueBelle Sun 01-Feb-26 04:36:21

NoMende you weren’t told to go on another site Wyllow suggested you might get better advice on a US site as here in Uk we don’t have the same problems re finances and elderly care as you do and it is not easy for us to understand how it all works over there.

I can’t envisage losing my house to keep my mum alive, that’s brutal and unbelievably harsh.

It’s certainly not your husbands fault he wants to help his mum
Would it be the same problem if she wasn’t in a luxurious hospital/care facility ? Or is it because she is in a specially grand place ?

NotSpaghetti Sun 01-Feb-26 07:03:57

I think you should have a sensible sit-down conversation with your husband as it seems you have already lost your marital home.

What do older people and their families usually do if they have only a moderate income and someone needs a care facility?

In terms of second chances for husbands I'd want to have this conversation and try to find a way through but I do accept that he is not likely to change.
The good news is he is a caring person towards his mother so he may be able to see how unfair this financial burden has been on you - and want to find a way to be fairer.

Does your mother-in-law know the dire situation you are in?
Would she be able to cope with a cheaper facility?

Wyllow3 Sun 01-Feb-26 08:36:29

Mende you mention you have an appointment with a lawyer, but you don't need to tell them you have decided on a divorce, you can say that you are gathering information to help you decide.

If you still love your husband and sitting down for a conversation just doesn't work, can you go to a counselling session together? Good things may come out of that, or it may help you move on with making your mind up.

Caleo Sun 01-Feb-26 10:18:08

I have a lot of sympathy for your husband and perhaps you can persuade him that the US is not a Mende village where elders are revered and supported by the whole community.

If selling the house is the best way to go, then you probably know best.

madeleine45 Sun 01-Feb-26 11:09:21

In my opinion there are really two separate things here. Practically I think the only sensible thing to do is to take good advice, and then get a divorce as soon as you can. I would also in the meantime make a list of all you can remember, that was spent on your mil, so was not available for you and your husband. It can be quite surprising when you see the complete list over time and realize how it has impacted on your life. By getting a divorce hopefully you will at least a voice being responsible for his or her debts.

In the meantime I suggest what I often suggest to people in difficult situations. So you could take two pieces of paper. On one you write all the positive things there are about your marriage, what you enjoy sharing, what you admire in him etc. Each time you think of something write iton the paper, and then fold it over so that you cannot see it. On the other piece of paper put the negative things about your situation. Then on a day you feel quite calm and relaxed and on your own, open these papers and then what you are looking for is not a list but to look at what you have written, and see how various things group together and it helps you to see what is important to you and what you might not have realized how important an area is to you. You may actually be surprised by somethings. While you are in your situation, you are not taking a step back and this can be helpful.

I think you must still have some love for your husband as you have remained with him during this time. So having looked at your lists, thought about your situation as it is, that should be the time when you decide what you want to happen.

So, it may be that you see that you need to divorce, and move away and have nothing more to do with them. This would be sad for you, but at the same time allow you to have a clean break, and get on with your own life, without the constant worry about the debts etc. Or you may divorce and either ask your husband to leave or leave yourself and get something smaller, perhaps a flat or something that you would be able to cope with well yourself. Put it is your name only, but then you could still invite your husband to spend time with you, but on your grounds. Make sure that he knows that you will not mortgage your flat or give him any money for his mothers debts, but you could still invite him for meals and perhaps to stay with you occasionally. That way you keep contact, but on your terms, and you will feel less stressed, knowing you are safe yourself.

Only you can know which if any of these ideas might work for you. Do you have a close friend who knows your circumstances and might be able to help you to look at what alternatives there are? The main point of these ideas are to show you some possibilties for you to take control of your own life. You will never change your mil's attitude, nor does it seem likely that you can get your husband to alter his attitude, or if he did , he would probably feel so guilty about it that it would still not work for you both. So the point is that in reality we cannot change other peoples behaviours or attitude, only our own. Perhaps this seems like a new way of thinking about your situation, so I would urge you to think about it a little without involving anyone else. Then you could come back to the post and if it appeals you could begin to write those lists and see where it leads you. Hopefully to a less frustrating and worrying way of life. Wishing you strength to do whatever you feel able to do.

NotSpaghetti Sun 01-Feb-26 11:12:23

I think this is a good idea madeleine45

Mende Mon 02-Feb-26 01:53:08

It not just 162K a year for his mother Private Nursing Home care with a private room and doctor on site and a team of nurses care for her.

But it also her hospital medical bills, she was in the hospital from Dec 31st to Jan 23rd, that is 24 days hospital stays. You bet there are Out of pocket cost, and any specialist and treatments that Out of network will be pay in full.

Thank you to he cosign as the financial responsible party for his mother.

--

There more.

His mother explicit express her wishes to the doctors, even in her Advance Healthcare Directive she specific said prolong her life use any medical intervention even life support.
She AFRAID of death and wants to live at all cost, even if she has to be on life support, do NOT pull her life support.

Sure, one can argue she selfish that she deadly afraid of die to the point that even if she on life support, do not pull her life support, this will put her son on a lifetime debt to prolong her life.

One can argue she has the RIGHTS to express her wishes afraid of die, and she has the RIGHTS to ask hospital to use medical intervention including life support to prolong her life.

But why drag me into this?

Mende Mon 02-Feb-26 01:54:23

Here is the problem.

[[ Insurance will pay for ventilators, feeding tubes, etc. if there is an active treatment plan aimed at improving the patient's health or consciousness.

Vegetative State Exclusion: If a doctor declares the patient is in a persistent coma vegetative state with no reasonable hope of recovery, insurers cease coverage for artificial life maintenance. ]]

Insurance has to make profit too to survive, there no insurance out there would cover a LONG TERM coma vegetative state where the person lungs and heart breathing from artificial life machine.

I know if God forbid his mom end up in vegetable state, he will NOT pull the plug, he will at all cost continue to have his mom under life support. Well guess what, he be paying in full.

Why drag me into this? I did not sign up for this, we will NOT have enough money if his mom on life support. Nobody knows what the future hold, there 50% chance she can be.

If he loves me then divorce me, and spend the rest of his life care for his mom, why possessive of me and not let me go, and drag me into all this with him.

Mende Mon 02-Feb-26 01:58:19

There more.

I know he will need the money for his mom, as his salary is not enough to keep continue on like this, as it been 4 YEARS, 4 YEARS and ongoing, this is year 5

I ask him would he sale our martial home, meaning the home that me and our, the child of me and him together. Would he still sale it?

He tell me he WILL. And that me him and our son all 3 of us will go rent. The house of the money will go to his mother medical expense.

Even if that means sacrifice me and our toddler all 3 of us go rent, while the house will be sale to save his mother.

Can any woman here actually can accept this? Because I cannot. He show me times and times over that his mother is more important than me (his wife) and his own child.

SORES Mon 02-Feb-26 09:07:15

Mende, honestly, you are like a dog with a bone.

It is a testament to the good will, patience and forebearance
of posters here that you have had any responses.

This as you noticed, is a U.K. site, we cannot help socially or legally, take the excellent advice kindly offered and cease your increasingly combative diatribe.

David49 Mon 02-Feb-26 09:55:18

Mende

There more.

I know he will need the money for his mom, as his salary is not enough to keep continue on like this, as it been 4 YEARS, 4 YEARS and ongoing, this is year 5

I ask him would he sale our martial home, meaning the home that me and our, the child of me and him together. Would he still sale it?

He tell me he WILL. And that me him and our son all 3 of us will go rent. The house of the money will go to his mother medical expense.

Even if that means sacrifice me and our toddler all 3 of us go rent, while the house will be sale to save his mother.

Can any woman here actually can accept this? Because I cannot. He show me times and times over that his mother is more important than me (his wife) and his own child.

As your husband has comfirmed that he will continue to fund his mother to the end, your only alternative is to divorce him and salvage what you can. Because he will contest it dont expect it to be quick or easy