Contribution

The name for the type of legal action (i.e., lawsuit) that gets filed when a creditor has come after one spouse for the full amount owed on a community debt, even though the Decree assigns some or all of that debt to the other spouse. Generally, both spouses are jointly liable for all community debts, and the creditor may pursue payment of the debt from either spouse. A Divorce Decree does not affect the creditor’s ability to do so. The spouse who has been forced to pay may initiate a court action requesting the other spouse reimburse them in accordance with the Decree by filing a Rule 85 motion or by initiating a lawsuit.