When Steve’s* marriage came to an end, his biggest surprise came when he discovered the large debt left from his wife’s prolific spending.

As the sole bread winner, Steve had paid little to no attention to where or how funds were spent. It was only after their split, her spending habits and debts surfaced. His wife had lied about the costs of her purchases, some of which included a car, travel and clothes.

Hidden debts and secret bank accounts can be unwanted surprises during a divorce.Credit: Karl Hilzinger

After separating, she secretly acquired a credit card in their joint names, running up an additional credit card debt of $25,000. As they were technically still married at the time, Steve was legally liable, and the burden of repayment fell entirely on him, as she had no........

© The Sydney Morning Herald