{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-202.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-202.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-202.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-202.html"}],"law_id":59546,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59546,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-202","catch_line":"Spouse not responsible for other spouse’s contracts, etc.; mutual liability for necessaries; exception; responsibility of personal representative","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 5134; 1932, p. 22; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-37; 1984, c. 504; 1985, c. 202; 2012, c. 45; 2019, c. 712; 2023, c. 798.","full_text":"Except as otherwise provided in this section, a spouse shall not be responsible for the other spouse’s contract or tort liability to a third party, whether such liability arose before or after the marriage. The doctrine of necessaries as it existed at common law shall apply equally to both spouses, except where they are permanently living separate and apart, but shall in no event create any liability between such spouses as to each other. For the purposes of this section, liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for health care furnished to the patient spouse who predeceases the nonpatient spouse. No lien arising out of a judgment under this section shall attach to the judgment debtors’ principal residence held by them as tenants by the entirety or that was held by them as tenants by the entirety prior to the death of either spouse where the tenancy terminated as a result of the death of either spouse.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":218128,"text":"Except as otherwise provided in this section, a spouse shall not be responsible for the other spouse’s contract or tort liability to a third party, whether such liability arose before or after the marriage. The doctrine of necessaries as it existed at common law shall apply equally to both spouses, except where they are permanently living separate and apart, but shall in no event create any liability between such spouses as to each other. For the purposes of this section, liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for health care furnished to the patient spouse who predeceases the nonpatient spouse. No lien arising out of a judgment under this section shall attach to the judgment debtors’ principal residence held by them as tenants by the entirety or that was held by them as tenants by the entirety prior to the death of either spouse where the tenancy terminated as a result of the death of either spouse.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14422,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property Rights of Married Persons","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13327,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:05","permalink":{"id":244939,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14422,"identifier":"2","token":"55.1\/I\/2","url":"\/55.1\/I\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13327,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property Conveyances","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":244771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13327,"identifier":"I","token":"55.1\/I","url":"\/55.1\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":70172,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-200","catch_line":"How married persons may acquire and dispose of property","url":"\/55.1-200\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-200","metadata":false},{"id":62245,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-201","catch_line":"Contracts of, and actions by and against, married persons","url":"\/55.1-201\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-201","metadata":false},{"id":59546,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-202","catch_line":"Spouse not responsible for other spouse's contracts, etc.; mutual liability for necessaries; exception; responsibility of personal representative","url":"\/55.1-202\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-202","metadata":false},{"id":74366,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-203","catch_line":"Spouse's right of entry into land not barred by certain judgments; when a spouse may defend his right in lands that are his inheritance","url":"\/55.1-203\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-203","metadata":false},{"id":75492,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-204","catch_line":"Rights of spouse not affected by other spouse's acts only","url":"\/55.1-204\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-204","metadata":false},{"id":58597,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-205","catch_line":"Conveyance from married persons; effect on right of either spouse","url":"\/55.1-205\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-205","metadata":false},{"id":55778,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-206","catch_line":"How infant spouse may release interests in spouse's property","url":"\/55.1-206\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-206","metadata":false},{"id":74400,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-207","catch_line":"Appointment of attorney-in-fact by married person; effect of writing executed by such attorney","url":"\/55.1-207\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-207","metadata":false},{"id":76297,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-208","catch_line":"How estate of a married person to pass at death","url":"\/55.1-208\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-208","metadata":false},{"id":86281,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-209","catch_line":"Equitable separate estates abolished","url":"\/55.1-209\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-209","metadata":false},{"id":82520,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-210","catch_line":"Tangible personal property","url":"\/55.1-210\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-210","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":62245,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-201","catch_line":"Contracts of, and actions by and against, married persons","url":"\/55.1-201\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-201","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":74366,"structure_id":14422,"section_number":"55.1-203","catch_line":"Spouse's right of entry into land not barred by certain judgments; when a spouse may defend his right in lands that are his inheritance","url":"\/55.1-203\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-203","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-202\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1984, chapter 504; in 1985, chapter 202; in 2012, chapter 45<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>; in 2023, chapter 798<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":244949,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59546,"identifier":"55.1-202","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-202","url":"\/55.1-202\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-202\/","token":"55.1\/I\/2\/55.1-202","dublin_core":{"Title":"Spouse not responsible for other spouse’s contracts, etc.; mutual liability for necessaries; exception; responsibility of personal representative","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-202","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Except as otherwise provided in this section, a spouse shall not be responsible for the other spouse’s contract<\/span> or tort<\/span> liability to a third party<\/span>, whether such liability arose before or after the marriage. The doctrine of necessaries as it existed at common law<\/span> shall apply equally to both spouses, except where they are permanently living separate and apart, but shall in no event create any liability between such spouses as to each other. For the purposes of this section, liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for health care furnished to the patient spouse who predeceases the nonpatient spouse. No lien<\/span> arising out of a judgment under this section shall attach to the judgment debtors<\/span>’ principal residence held by them as tenants by the entirety or that was held by them as tenants by the entirety prior to the death of either spouse where the tenancy terminated as a result of the death of either spouse.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSPOUSE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER SPOUSE’S CONTRACTS, ETC.; MUTUAL\nLIABILITY FOR NECESSARIES; EXCEPTION; RESPONSIBILITY OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE\n(\u00a7 55.1-202)\n\nExcept as otherwise provided in this section, a spouse shall not be responsible\nfor the other spouse’s contract or tort liability to a third party,\nwhether such liability arose before or after the marriage. The doctrine of\nnecessaries as it existed at common law shall apply equally to both spouses,\nexcept where they are permanently living separate and apart, but shall in no\nevent create any liability between such spouses as to each other. For the\npurposes of this section, liability shall not be imposed upon one spouse for\nhealth care furnished to the patient spouse who predeceases the nonpatient\nspouse. No lien arising out of a judgment under this section shall attach to the\njudgment debtors’ principal residence held by them as tenants by the\nentirety or that was held by them as tenants by the entirety prior to the death\nof either spouse where the tenancy terminated as a result of the death of either\nspouse.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 5134; 1932, p. 22; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-37; 1984, c. 504;\n1985, c. 202; 2012, c. 45; 2019, c. 712; 2023, c. 798.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}