I am an authorized user on a credit card that is not mine. Can I declare bankruptcy without hurting the primary account holder?

This may depend on whether you are a signature to the cardholder agreement or merely an authorized user on the account. But either way, your filing bankruptcy should not affect his credit, unless there is a default in payments on the account. That being said, credit reporting is a bizarre world and anything can happen.

Firstly, you should be up front about anything that might be questionable with your attorney. That being said, a lot of times the account, even when you are an authorized user, may show up on your credit report. Many bankruptcy attorneys will pull your credit report as an act of due diligence. When your attorney signs the petition, they are certifying to the court that they have done a check to attempt to verify the information you provided is accurate. The credit report run helps to satisfy that. Bottom line, your attorney may see it and it's better to disclose and talk about that up front. Also, we have no control over what the lender puts in the comment section on a credit report line item. They sometimes will put something like "authorized user filed chapter 7 bankruptcy" on the other person's report. That should not change their score, but someone reviewing him for credit might see it and who knows? I always recommend clients be taken off other people's accounts before filing to attempt to avoid something like that happening or potentially causing a loved one some trouble... just to be safe.

First make sure that authorized users are not also liable on the portion of the account that they use. Also make sure that you are actually an authorized user. You may have an obligation to the account holder and might have to list that person. Talk to your bankruptcy about specifics and be completely honest or you may end up hurting yourself and your father in law. If it is not a joint account, his credit report should not reflect your bankruptcy. After you file, if you file, have him call 877-FACT-ACT to get his credit report (about 3-6 months after filing) and see if it appears. If it does, he can dispute the erroneous listing. This is the reason that you should use an attorney and ask lots of questions.

If as you say you are an authorized user, not a co-signer, on the account your bankruptcy will not damage the credit of the account holder. However, some creditors issue oddly-worded "trade lines" after bankruptcy like "bankruptcy filed by authorized user", which seems to imply the account is discharged in bankruptcy. This is not the proper wording, and may be challenged by the consumer on whose credit report it appears. I trust your reasons for filing bankruptcy are more substantial than one delinquent credit card account, and recommend that you consult with an attorney who practices in this area before making a final decision. Bankruptcy is a big step that should not be taken lightly.