Legal Question in Family Law in California

Re: Can creditor put a lien on house bought before divorce is final ?

There are a lot of factors affecting the collection of a gambling debt against a spouse. It depends on when the debt was accumulated, whether she knew about it and whether they are legally separated (to name a few). If the purchase is imminent, make sure a legal separation is obtained prior to the purchase, use funds that are not subject to a community property distribution, and obtain a quitclaim deed for the property from the husband. If the creditor has filed suit, attempt to negotiate out of the suit. She should definitely retain an attorney to review the circumstances more thoroughly before going into a purchase.