It is common for parties to make payments on their debts while their divorce action is pending. Generally, each party is responsible for their own debts incurred after commencement of the divorce action, and, most of the time, the parties are jointly liable on any marital debt that preceded commencement of the divorce action. However, there are situations where one party is forced to make payment for the debts owed by the other party. Thus, it is important to know if one spouse pays for the other spouse’s legal obligations, does that spouse receive a credit for those payments?
In McKay v. Groesbeck, 117 AD3d 810 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept. 2014), the Appellate Division pointed out that a party’s maintenance and child support obligations are retroactive to the earlier of the date of filing or the date of application for them. Further, any retroactive amount due has to be paid, as the court directs, taking into account any amount of temporary maintenance or child support which has been paid as provided by DRL §236[B][6][a] and DRL § 236[B][7][a].
Generally, voluntary payments made by a parent for the benefit of his or her children may not be credited against amounts due under the court order or a judgment of divorce. Only payments made pursuant to the judgment or order can be credited. Also, a party is not entitled to a credit for payments made to satisfy that party’s own legal obligations that were not made pursuant to a pendente lite order of support.
In McKay, there was a pendente lite order for temporary child support of $1,000 per month issued in 2006, but no payments were made pursuant to that order. However, a party is entitled to a credit for payments made to satisfy the other spouse’s legal obligations. The court held that the defendant should have received a credit towards arrears for any payments he made toward the plaintiff’s car payments and insurance, and for one half of the payments he made toward the mortgage and carrying charges on the marital home, as those payments were made to satisfy the plaintiff’s legal obligations.
Thus, the party paying legal obligations will receive a credit for those payments. This situation is likely to occur where the party receiving child support and/or spousal maintenance does not have sufficient financial resources to satisfy all of his or her debts. If the court grants this credit, both parties may benefit.