Opinion ID: 878551
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: consideration of wife's income

Text: During the hearing, it was determined that Ruple receives $492 per month in Social Security benefits and approximately $283 per month in workers' compensation benefits. Ruple's wife, a baker for a local school district, receives $950 per month over a ten-month school year, with a net income per month of approximately $640. In determining Ruple's claim for lump sum conversion, the court took the wife's income into consideration. Ruple argues that this was improper and that the proposed conversion should be evaluated solely in light of his income. We disagree. It is true, as Ruple maintains, that the Montana law of husband and wife generally protects one spouse from liability for the debts of the other spouse. See sections 40-2-106 and 40-2-205, MCA. Nevertheless, both provisions recognize that expenses for necessities of the family are chargeable upon the property of both husband and wife. In this case, Ruple seeks a lump sum award in order to discharge debts and better provide for the necessities of food and lodging. Given this position, we cannot say that the general rule and not the exception embodied in the above-cited statutes applies here. Moreover, we emphasize that examination of a claimant's needs requires the lower court to consider all of the assets plus needs and abilities of both spouses. To permit otherwise allows for an absurd treatment of the realities of a marital or family association. In the past we have considered both the favorable and unfavorable situations of a spouse in calculating the needs of a claimant. Compare, Bundtrock v. Duff Chevrolet (Mont. 1982), 647 P.2d 856, 39 St.Rep. 1211 (consideration of spouse's income in conjunction with claimant's to determine need) with Polich v. Whalen's OK Tire Warehouse (Mont. 1981), 634 P.2d 1162, 38 St.Rep. 1572 (consideration of wife's ill health in determining need for converting husband's disability benefits to lump sum award). In the immediate case, it was proper to consider the income of Ruple's wife in evaluating the best interests of the parties and the need for a lump sum benefit.