My girlfriend and her children are about to move in with me. She has debts of several thousand pounds, but repayments were frozen at £1 a week following a court judgment. Will the court increase her weekly payments when she starts living with me? Could I become liable for her past debts?
If your girlfriend was previously paying rent, or was receiving income support and is no longer entitled to do so, this will alter her ability to pay and the order can be changed to reflect this. The court would only consider this however if requested to do so by one of her creditors. You cannot be held responsible for her past debts. However you should be wary of opening a joint account: your girlfriends creditors would probably be able to stake a claim on any money in it.