In Texas, will racking up huge debt reduce potential divorce?
Not really. Let's start with a simple example. Suppose you and your spouse have a combined net worth of $1M, and you don't run up any debt. In a perfect division of the community property, you each end up with net worth of maybe $495k if you're lucky (spending only $10k on lawyers, court costs, etc.) Now, suppose you change that, by running up $400k in debt. Your combined net worth is now only $600k, and after those same expenses, now you both wind up with only $295k. And that's your best case. If your spouse's lawyer can convince the judge that you intentionally ran up this debt, you'll actually be in the red here. The math works similarly for smaller community estates. Beyond that, there's something to be said for the value of your integrity. Do you really want to be that kind of person?