Q: Must I disclose prior bankruptcies to my partner before we get married?
A: There's no legal requirement. This is an ethical or relationship question.
Trent Harris and Timothy Denison agree with this answer
A:
Legally? No.
Socially/morally/ethically? You ought to. Presumably a marriage relationship is one built on trust, so by keeping that a secret from your spouse to be, you may be sabotaging that trust from the get-go.
As always, you get what you pay for. Make sure to talk to a qualified attorney about your specific situation before relying on information you get from Internet discussion boards, such as this one.
Timothy Denison agrees with this answer
A:
I agree with the others. You are under no legal obligation to tell your partner about what you did to resolve a prior financial crisis. But if the root causes of the bankruptcy were due to your bad habits, bad choices or health issues, and if you still struggle with those issues, you would be better off telling your partner about those issues. First, it's the honest and open thing to do, and second, they will find out eventually, and if they cannot understand the issues you struggle with, and are unwilling or unable to forgive or accept, wouldn't you be better off knowing that about them?
For example, you don't have to tell your partner about every failed relationship you've had, but if they failed because you have gambling, or fidelity issues, wouldn't be a good idea to share that with your partner?
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