Giving
the spouse other marital assets to balance out the distribution is another option.
Not exact matches
However, they are unusual in Greece, since the default
marital regime is that of separation of
assets (although a
spouse that has contributed to an increase in the
other spouse's property is entitled to a share of the increase).
In the case of an elderly couple of modest means where one
spouse needed immediate 24 - hour care and the
other spouse remained in the
marital home, through the use of court orders and
other techniques, able to preserve the
marital assets for the
spouse who remained in the
marital home and obtain benefits for the
spouse in the nursing home.
Since the courts often award the business to the business - owner -
spouse, the
other spouse is awarded with
other marital assets of roughly equal value to that of the business.
In
other words, a
marital asset of value may be awarded to a
spouse who is seeking maintenance.
Spousal support, a lump - sum payment or a greater portion of
other marital assets may be given to one
spouse in exchange for his or her share of the business.
Ideally, you and your
spouse will decide together how you want to divide the
marital property — you'll have to decide things like whether one of you will keep the family home and buy out the
other spouse's interest or whether you'll sell the house; who will keep the furniture and
other tangible property; how you'll divide retirement
assets that each of you has accrued through your work; and how to deal with
marital debts.
Either
spouse's contributions to enhancing the value of
marital assets or of the non-
marital assets of the
other spouse.
In a divorce, we understand that the
spouse whom we represent will have important questions: what will happen to the
marital property, will alimony or spousal support be awarded (and if so, how is this determined), what will happen to our house, vehicles, and
other significant
assets, who will be entitled to live in the current residence, and how will custody matters be determined?
Assets owned by respective
spouses before marriage are not considered
marital property by New York courts; neither are gifts, inheritances or tort compensations for pain and suffering that were received by one
spouse but not the
other.
If a case is highly contested, and / or one
spouse has a history, for example, of hiding or dissipating
marital assets, subpoenas of bank accounts and
other financial statements can be obtained to help the court determine an award of equitable distribution when one
spouse refuses to provide documentation evidencing same, or if the court or your divorce lawyers in Brooklyn have reason to believe that your
spouse is not being entirely truthful in his or her disclosure of these
assets.
The
marital separation agreement often includes decisions such as the division of property and
other assets, alimony or maintenance payments, debt division, and which
spouse is allowed to live in the family home.
In
other words, the fact that your
spouse had an affair is not going to affect how your property is divided, but if your
spouse spent significant
marital assets on the affair, then it may have an effect.
If one
spouse causes a loss of
marital property during or after the breakdown of the marriage, called a dissipation of
marital assets, the court may give the
other spouse a larger portion of
marital assets since there are fewer
marital assets to distribute because of the loss.
The key to uncontested divorce is that both
spouses must be in agreement about the terms and conditions of the divorce, including child custody and visitation; child support, health and dental insurance, and medical expenses for the children; tax deductions and exemptions; division of the
marital assets and debts; alimony; any
other dispute involving the marriage; and lastly, the grounds for the divorce.
Marital assets, on the
other hand, are divided between
spouses.
If separate property is commingled with
marital property, the judge may give the
spouse claiming the property is separate property an opportunity to trace the
assets, either separate or
marital, used to acquire the property through an examination of bank records and
other helpful resources.
Spouses will need to bring current statements of all
marital assets and debts, as well as copies of tax returns for the previous three years, paystubs, W - 2's, any appraisals of properties or businesses, as well as
other specific items.
A divorce is uncontested if both
spouses agree to the divorce and are in complete agreement about dividing the
marital property (which includes
assets and debts), the custody and support for any children, and whether one
spouse pays alimony to the
other.
In
other words, a portion of the
marital assets can be distributed to both
spouses in the interim period while divorce proceedings are in effect.
A pre-
marital asset may become a
marital asset if the
other spouse's name is added to the property's title or
asset's account.
Connecticut courts also consider the contributions each
spouse made to the value of the
marital assets and whether one
spouse worked to put the
other through school.
Under Ohio law, the court can award a share of one
spouse's separate property to the
other spouse if he squandered or wasted
marital assets or spent them on something
other than the marriage.
Another is one
spouse buying out the
other often by trading the equity (net value after the mortgage loan balance but not usually a real estate commission is calculated in) in the home against the value of
other marital assets that the
other spouse wishes to keep.
In divorce and child custody cases, the contested issues vary depending on the parties» unique circumstances, but generally they concern with whom the children will reside (physical custody), who will make decisions concerning their religious and educational upbringing, medical care and treatment, and extracurricular activities (legal custody), how the
assets and debts of the parties will be divided (equitable division of the
marital property), and what kind of spousal support, if any, is to be paid by one party for the support of the
other spouse.
It also helps to avoid taking divorces such as these into open court, where there is no predicting the way in which a judge might rule on the division of
marital assets or any financial obligations one or the
other spouses may be required to meet.
In making an equitable apportionment of
marital property, the family court must give weight in such proportion as it finds appropriate to all of the following factors: (1) the duration of the marriage along with the ages of the parties at the time of the marriage and at the time of the divorce; (2)
marital misconduct or fault of either or both parties, if the misconduct affects or has affected the economic circumstances of the parties or contributed to the breakup of the marriage; (3) the value of the
marital property and the contribution of each
spouse to the acquisition, preservation, depreciation, or appreciation in value of the
marital property, including the contribution of the
spouse as homemaker; (4) the income of each
spouse, the earning potential of each
spouse, and the opportunity for future acquisition of capital
assets; (5) the health, both physical and emotional, of each
spouse; (6) either
spouse's need for additional training or education in order to achieve that
spouse's income potential; (7) the non
marital property of each
spouse; (8) the existence or nonexistence of vested retirement benefits for each or either
spouse; (9) whether separate maintenance or alimony has been awarded; (10) the desirability of awarding the family home as part of equitable distribution or the right to live therein for reasonable periods to the
spouse having custody of any children; (11) the tax consequences to each or either party as a result of equitable apportionment; (12) the existence and extent of any prior support obligations; (13) liens and any
other encumbrances upon the
marital property and any
other existing debts; (14) child custody arrangements and obligations at the time of the entry of the order; and (15) such
other relevant factors as the trial court shall expressly enumerate in its order.