New Jersey is a separate property state, and I am not very knowledgeable about bankruptcy, but the idea of one spouse declaring it and having it NOT affect the other sounds a bit preposterous.

I have a really good friend who went through it and REALLY regrets it. Anytime they try to do anything jointly, it's a major, major hassle. 7 years is forever, financially.

The separate property issue is important for estate planning and asset protection planning. You can probably Google some really good "primers" on bankruptcy in NJ.

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