Some spouses keep their finances separate and under wraps, but other spouses are entirely transparent about their financial situations. In fact, some partners know so much about their spouses’ financial data that they could open credit cards in their spouses’ names. However, is it legal to open a credit card under a spouse’s name?

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The Legality of Opening a Credit Card

In short, the answer is no: it is illegal for a spouse to open a credit card in his or her partner’s name. This may come as a surprise to some, but there is a simple explanation behind the criminal denotation.

You may think that a credit card is just like a shared bank account, but that’s not true. When spouses share bank accounts, the money in the account is technically owned by both parties, and both spouses will know of its existence.

However, when spouses open credit cards in their partners’ names, they start to accrue debts on their partners’ accounts that they may not know about. This could result in a person’s finances going down the toilet thanks to a spouse’s unknown actions.

To reiterate, even though a marriage joins two peoples’ lives, this union does not apply to credit card history. For this reason, opening a credit card in your spouse’s name is illegal because you are directly affecting your spouse’s financial history with no financial consequences of your own.

Have You Committed Credit Card Fraud?

If you have accidentally or intentionally committed credit card fraud by opening an account in your spouse’s name, you should talk to a criminal defense attorney right away. A credit card fraud attorney can help you make the best of your situation and defend your rights if your spouse presses charges against you.

Call (720) 548-2990 now for a free consultation concerning criminal charges for credit card fraud.