Husband and I bought a house with the help of his parents. Now they want me to sign a document stating that we'll return their money if we divorce.

This is a very sticky situation and I really need some outside perspective.

My husband (42) and I (35f) have been married for a bit less than a year and dating for 7. We recently bought a house together with help from his parents: they provided a significant sum of money for the down payment. It would not have been possible for us to buy a place without their help because real estate is extremely expensive where we live (we're not in North America if that makes any difference). I'm very grateful to them since my own family is not well-off and couldn't contribute.

It took us months to find a place and the entire time his parents were completely supportive. During that process, I mentioned a few times that I felt uncomfortable with the financial imbalance and with the fact that the entire down payment would only be coming from his side of the family. However, I was repeatedly reassured that this wasn't an issue and that the money had long been in a savings account expressly for the purpose of purchasing a house.

We officially bought a house a few months ago and the in-laws have already given the down payment. Our mortgage payments start soon and will be divided equally between my husband and I. The house is under both of our names.

This is the problem: My husband's parents have now--out of the blue--requested that I sign a document stating that the money they gave for the down payment be reimbursed if my husband and I divorce. In other words, if we separate -- we have to give them back a substantial amount of money (think hundreds of thousands $). I have yet to receive this document but they will be sending it soon.

I feel a bit blindsided. During our difficult househunting process and over the course of countless discussions with the in-laws this was never brought up before and they had said that the money was intended to help us start a family. I'm quite close to them and they never brought up any form of repayment in the event of a divorce. On the other hand, I also understand that they are trying to protect their son's financial means since so many marriages do not last forever.

EDITING my questions in light of comments: Legal issues aside (yes, we will be consulting with a lawyer), what is the best way to navigate the relationship with the in-laws, in your opinion? Does anyone else have any experience with this kind of issue? Any other tips/advice on how to move forward or best respond to this situation?

We want to present a united front to the in-laws while avoiding unnecessary friction. I also want to ensure that I'm protected of course and that my own investment in the property (mortgage payments, renovations) won't be for nothing.

TL/DR: Husband and I bought a house with the help of in-laws. In-laws are now requesting that I sign an agreement stating that their funding would be returned if we divorce. What should our response be?

Submitted March 20, 2021 at 04:41AM by ThrowRA_Mortgage https://ift.tt/3f2umQy