Monday, November 2, 2020

It’s Mine…No it’s Mine!

In a divorce, the ideas of "mine" and "hers or his" often come up.  However, unless there was a clear property agreement, the marriage "owns" the labors of each spouse, and all that flowed from that labor.  It is community property.  One of the partners did nothing and the other did "all the work?"  It does not matter.  You were married, and the property purchased with the fruits of that labor is community property.  Property is presumed to be community unless factors showing a separate source (such as inheritance or property owned prior to marriage) can be proven.

Courts must "characterize" property as "separate" or "community," and then the judge must make a "just and equitable" distribution of that property. And Washington has been a "no fault" state for nearly fifty years, and other than the most egregious "wasting" of assets, who earned the wealth and who consumed it will not matter to the court. In fact, if the one who consumed the assets cannot make a living, then spousal maintenance will likely be ordered until the non-working spouse has time to develop the skills to be able to make a living.

For dealing with the complex issues of "my property" versus "his or her property" contact Mason Law of Spokane, Washington at 509-443-3681, as Craig Mason has deep experience in these property issues. (For example search "Kile v. Kendall" or "Marriage of Kile" for a seminal case in which Mr. Mason won an appeal based upon these principles.) You may also use the website www.spokaneinjuryanddivorcelaw.com to contact Mason Law.

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