Intervention In Divorce By Creditors

Certain persons with a legitimate interest in a lawsuit to which they are not an original party can intervene in the lawsuit. Creditors intervene to protect their interest in property that is going to be distributed and divided in the divorce. For instance, the wife's former divorce attorney who is owed legal fees can intervene in the divorce as a creditor. Since he is a party, the court must consider his interests when allocating the spouse's property.

On the other hand, while the court may have ordered the wife to pay all the credit card bills, if the account was in both spouses' names, the bank can go after the husband for payment. The divorce decree does not take the husband's name off the account or relieve him of his liability to the bank.