Why can’t one spouse just take over a mortgage or another debt after divorce?

Banks seek their self-interest, which is a characteristic many divorced people ought to understand. A bank is not on your Christmas card list and doesn’t care what happens to your family. The bank does not want to remove one person who could be pursued to get the money if the other defaults. Before the creditor will let you take over the debt, you need to have the job history and the credit history to make yourself a good risk. It’s a good idea for both spouses to have jobs, credit accounts in their own names, assets in their own names, or, at the very least, substantial savings so that if they do divorce, one spouse will have enough cash to pay for things—even big things—without having to borrow.