Adams v. Council, Baradel, Kosmerl & Nolan, P.A. (In Re Adams)

**What Happened** A lawyer named Adams went through bankruptcy proceedings after his divorce. During the divorce, the court ordered him to pay his ex-wife's attorney's fees to the law firm that represented her (Council, Baradel, Kosmerl & Nolan). Adams tried to get rid of this debt through bankruptcy, arguing that since the fees were now owed to the law firm rather than directly to his ex-wife, he shouldn't have to pay them after his bankruptcy was completed. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled against Adams. Even though the ex-wife had transferred her right to collect the attorney's fees to her law firm, the debt still counted as a family support obligation that cannot be eliminated in bankruptcy. The court said it didn't matter that the law firm was now the one collecting the money—the debt originated from a divorce proceeding and remained a non-dischargeable family obligation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that certain debts from divorce proceedings will follow you even through bankruptcy. If you're ordered to pay your ex-spouse's legal fees during a divorce, you likely cannot escape this obligation by filing for bankruptcy, regardless of who ultimately collects the payment.