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There are many questions to face when a divorce may be in your future.  One issue that comes up relatively frequently is dental bills, particularly when there are large outstanding bills or when dental work is done while the divorce is pending.  This blog is written to generally address how outstanding dental bills are handled in a divorce case in Michigan.  If you have questions regarding your own outstanding bills and a possible divorce or separation, you should schedule a consultation with us by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.

What Happens To Dental Bills In A Divorce In Michigan?

Dental bills are essentially debt and debt is typically handled similarly to property in a divorce or like property with a negative value.  This means when analyzing how the debt will be divided in a divorce, it must first be categorized as a marital debt or a separate debt. 

Most debts the parties incur during the marriage will be considered marital, that is to say joint debt and it will be divided equally between the parties in some manner or other.  Sometimes, the debt will be paid-off entirely out of the proceeds from the sale of a home or offset against other property, for instance one person may have marital debt in their name (like a credit card) so to offset that debt, they will be awarded more money from a bank account or more value from other assets.  Separate debts typically fall into specific categories such as student loans, gambling debts, debts incurred while pursuing an affair and other debts that would not be considered ordinary debts a person might incur in daily life.

Dental bills typically are considered marital debts and will be shared equally.  This is true even if the dental work is done after the divorce has been filed but not completed (i.e. while the case is pending) because the courts in Michigan consider the couple married until the divorce is final.  This means the dental bills will be paid out of joint assets or offset by other assets.  There may be some exception for cosmetic dentistry depending on when it was scheduled and whether the other spouse had any knowledge of the planned cosmetic dental work.  Other than that, pretty much all dental work will be considered marital debt to be divided equally or paid for out of joint funds.

This blog was written to very generally address the specific issue of dental bills and divorce in Michigan.  If you have questions regarding your own future, please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.