Division of property
Encyclopedia
Division of property, also known as equitable distribution, is a judicial division of property rights and obligations between spouses during divorce
. It may be done by agreement, through a property settlement, or by judicial decree.
Distribution of property is the division, due to a death or the dissolution
of a marriage, of property
which was owned by the deceased, or acquired during the course of the marriage
.
In Ferguson v. Ferguson, 639 So.2d 921 (Miss. 1994) , the court described equitable distribution of marital property at divorce as more fair, or equitable, than the separate property system. The court may consider such factors as "substantial contribution to the accumulation of the property, the market and emotional value of the assets, tax and other economic consequences of the distribution, the parties' needs, and any other factor relevant to an equitable outcome." Fairness is the prevailing guideline the court will use. Alimony payments, child support obligations and all other property will be considered. Even non-tangible contributions such as a spouse's domestic contributions to the household will be taken into account, whether that spouse has anything titled in their name or not. A spouse who has made non-tangible contributions may claim an equitable interest in the marital property at divorce.
The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act §307 (UMDA §307) also allows for the equitable distribution of property and lists factors the court should consider, e.g. "the duration of the marriage, and prior marriage of either party, antenuptial agreement of the parties [which is the same as a prenuptial agreement or premarital agreement], the age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, emplyability, estate, liabilities, and needs of each of the parties, custodials provisions..." etc. Marital misconduct is not a factor in the decision-making process.
Another form of property distribution at divorce is called "community property distribution".
Equitable distribution is not the same as equal distribution. For example, in a family with a stay-at-home mother, the husband's share may be less than 50 percent as compensation to the wife for having to return to the work force at a lower wage scale.
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. It may be done by agreement, through a property settlement, or by judicial decree.
Distribution of property is the division, due to a death or the dissolution
Dissolution (law)
In law, dissolution has multiple meanings.Dissolution is the last stage of liquidation, the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed....
of a marriage, of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
which was owned by the deceased, or acquired during the course of the marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
.
In Ferguson v. Ferguson, 639 So.2d 921 (Miss. 1994) , the court described equitable distribution of marital property at divorce as more fair, or equitable, than the separate property system. The court may consider such factors as "substantial contribution to the accumulation of the property, the market and emotional value of the assets, tax and other economic consequences of the distribution, the parties' needs, and any other factor relevant to an equitable outcome." Fairness is the prevailing guideline the court will use. Alimony payments, child support obligations and all other property will be considered. Even non-tangible contributions such as a spouse's domestic contributions to the household will be taken into account, whether that spouse has anything titled in their name or not. A spouse who has made non-tangible contributions may claim an equitable interest in the marital property at divorce.
The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act §307 (UMDA §307) also allows for the equitable distribution of property and lists factors the court should consider, e.g. "the duration of the marriage, and prior marriage of either party, antenuptial agreement of the parties [which is the same as a prenuptial agreement or premarital agreement], the age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, emplyability, estate, liabilities, and needs of each of the parties, custodials provisions..." etc. Marital misconduct is not a factor in the decision-making process.
Another form of property distribution at divorce is called "community property distribution".
Equitable distribution is not the same as equal distribution. For example, in a family with a stay-at-home mother, the husband's share may be less than 50 percent as compensation to the wife for having to return to the work force at a lower wage scale.