If my father did not pay my medical bills and now that I am 18 they have gone on my credit report, who is responsible for these bills?

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If my father did not pay my medical bills and now that I am 18 they have gone on my credit report, who is responsible for these bills?

I have been receiving collection letters. First one for $75 which stated bills from about 1 1/2 years ago had not been paid and I had been avoiding them. I had no idea these bills existed and paid it off. I received another bill for $15, and now one for $165. I don’t know where to begin looking for the bills or if there are even more. My father was supposedly paying these bills,and under my parents divorce papers was obligated to keep paying them even after I turned 18. Who is responsible for these bills, him or I? And how can I have bad credit for bills I did not know existed?

Asked on November 14, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, New Jersey

Answers:

FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

If there is a court order stating that your father is reposnsible for these medical bills even after you have turned 18 years of age, then he is obligated for the bills.

However, the problem is that he is not paying them and your credit is being injured. I suggest that if you can pay these medical bills on your own that you do so and then request reimbursement of them from your father. If he refuses, then the recourse is for your mother to bring an action in family law court to have him pay these bills' reimbursement back to you, or you could file the motion. You might consider consulting with a family law lawyer on the subject.


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