Tag Archive for: equitable distribution

Dividing Property in Divorce

Equitable distribution is the term used in Pennsylvania referring to division of marital property at the time of divorce. Marital property will consist of nearly everything acquired in either party’s name from the date of marriage through to the date of separation. It will also include pre-marital assets that have increased in value during the marriage. Equitable distribution does not necessarily mean a 50/50 split of all marital property. Instead, the statute on equitable distribution sets out 13 factors to be considered. Those factors are listed in 23 Pa C.S. 3502. While the length of marriage is a factor in equitable distribution, it does not mean that assets won’t be split at all in shorter marriages.

If the parties have to go to court for equitable distribution, they will be required to submit a statement beforehand laying out what they allege is the marital property at issue, how the factors listed affect their case, and what they are ultimately seeking as an “equitable” distribution. It is important to have knowledge of all the marital assets and debts at issue. Additionally, parties should have documentation to prove the value of any assets and debts to be addressed. Key dates for valuation may include date of marriage, date of separation and final hearing date. Items acquired after the date of separation but prior to the final divorce decree should also usually be excluded.

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Keeping the House in a Divorce

If you want to keep the house in a divorce, you may wonder what they will entail. If the mortgage is in joint names or in your spouse’s name, you are definitely going to need to refinance the mortgage into your own name at the time you get divorced, unless your spouse is nice and agrees to stay on the mortgage longer. If there is equity in the home, and not enough other assets to compensate your spouse in other ways, there is a good chance you are also going to need to come up with additional money as part of the refinance in order to buy your spouse out. The equity will be the value of the home at the time of the distribution less all the debt on the home (mortgage, home equity lien, etc.). The amount you will have to pay your spouse will depend on the percentage split of the assets as well where you live. In some counties they will deduct the cost of sale even though you are not selling the home. In others, they do not. If you need to time to be able to refinance, in some cases, it is recommended that you wait the two year period that you can delay a divorce by not consenting. During that time, as long as the mortgage is being paid you can remain the house while you work to build your credit or income so that you can refinance. If you are interested in keeping the house, you will want to check your credit as soon as you separate and talk to a mortgage broker or lender to see what things you will need to do in order to qualify for a loan and then set a plan to meet those steps. You also want to make sure you create a budget to make sure that you really can afford the home. You will need to project your income, the support you receive and the costs of the home, not just the mortgage but all the maintenance and make a decision based on all those factors.

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Pensions in a Divorce

In a divorce, especially a long term marriage, a pension can be a very valuable asset. Assets accumulated during the marriage are marital assets, regardless of whose name the asset was accumulated in. Retirement accounts, including pensions are marital assets to the extent that they were acquired during the marriage. If a portion of the pension was accumulated prior to the marriage or after the marriage, the court will use a coverture fracture to determine the marital portion. This means the number of years married over the total years that the pension was accumulated will be marital. In addition, many pensions have a survivor benefit that should also be considered. A survivor benefit is an election when the pension is taken that reduces the monthly pension payment based on the election that is chosen. Depending on the value of the pension and the health of the parties, the divorcing spouse may want to pursue the survivor benefit whereby they secure a monthly payment in the event of pension earner’s death which could be various percentages of the monthly pension depending on the election that was taken. Instead of doing a percentage of the marital portion, in some cases, it may be beneficial to have the pension appraised and the survivor benefit appraised to offset the value with other assets. Usually a private company will be hired to do this type of valuation.

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Served with Divorce Papers? Now what?

If you are served with divorce papers, you will want to first, keep them. Do not throw them away even if you are upset or angry. You can get a copy from the courthouse, however, if you have already done this. You are considered served on the day you receive them even if you tell the person who tries to hand it to you that you do not want the divorce papers. Your service date is an important date as it starts the period of time in which you have to wait if you are doing a mutual consent divorce. You will want to have an attorney look at the papers that you received so that they can determine for you if you need to response. The papers will always say you only have so many days to respond. Do not panic. It is unlikely that you will lose rights if you do not answer them within that time frame. Do, however, consult an attorney, who will be able to explain the legal jargon to you and let you know whether a response is required. A response is only usually required if you need to raise new claims such as spousal support or alimony or equitable distribution. Most attorneys will offer a consultation either by phone or in their office, and oftentimes, this initial consultation will be free. If you need support, you may bring someone with you to the appointment or have them on the phone with you. If you are served papers, in most cases, you will want to freeze any joint debt and secure any joint assets, but you may also want to discuss it with your attorney. Being informed and knowing what to expect is an important part of getting you through the process. An attorney can discuss with you what you can expect with respect to distribution of assets, support, and also the time frame in which things may happen or how things may be delayed.

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Impact of Inheritance

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The receipt of an inheritance may impact your divorce or support case. Regarding divorce, and specifically equitable distribution of marital property, Section 3501 of the Divorce Code defines what will be considered marital property, and up for division, versus what will be considered non-marital property. Marital property includes all property acquired by either party from the date of marriage through the date of separation. There is a presumption all property acquired during the marriage is marital regardless of how title is held (e.g. individually vs. jointly). However, property received as a gift, bequest, devise or descent is non-marital per 23 Pa. C.S. 3501(a). Accordingly, an inheritance that is received during the marriage can still be claimed as non-marital property. As a practical tip, parties should avoid commingling inheritance funds with other marital funds. Inheritance funds may still need to be disclosed since the separate assets of the party are a factor for equitable distribution under 23 Pa. C.S. 3502.

Money received by way of an inheritance is similarly not to be considered income for a support matter. This was established in the case of Humphreys v. DeRoss, 790 A.2d 281 (Pa. 2002) wherein the court noted that the term “inheritance” was not expressly listed in the statutory definition of “income” under 23 Pa. C.S. 4302 and so was not intended to be included. However, Humphreys also established that receipt of an inheritance may still be a factor under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1910.16-5. Rule 1910.16-5 states factors for the court to consider for deviation from a guideline support obligation. One of the factors the court may consider is the assets and liabilities of the parties. In E.R.L. v. C.K.L., 2015 PA Super 220, the court upheld an upward deviation of a child support award where father had just received a $600,000 inheritance. The base support award was appropriately calculated in that case without the inclusion of the inheritance money.

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Interest in Marital Property

A creditor may run into trouble in seeking to pursue their interest through real property of a married couple. Lappas v. Brown, 335 Pa. Super. 108 (Pa. Super. 1984), established that property subject to an order of court is in custodia legis, or under wardship of the court, pending compliance with the order. In Lappas, the underlying dispute involved a defense attorney who confessed judgment to get payment for legal services rendered. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth had seized all available funds as derivative contraband. Ultimately, the attorney was unable to collect his fee due to the existing order of court regarding the forfeiture. City of Easton v. Marra, 862 A.2d 170 (2004), expanded the principle of in custodia legis to actions for divorce and equitable distribution. In City of Easton, a divorce proceeding had been pending since 1988 when the City sought collection of unpaid taxes by forcing a tax sale of the real property the parties owned. A motion to stay the sheriff’s sale was granted since the property remained in custodia legis pending final resolution and equitable distribution per the parties’ divorce action.

Another example of the principle in the context of a divorce action was illustrated in Fidelity Bank v. Carroll, 416 Pa. Super. 9 (Pa. Super. 1992). Husband had a judgment entered solely against him for unsecured loans which went into default. The bank sought to put a lien on the marital residence however the Court held the bank’s lien could not attach to the marital home since the marital home was subject to equitable distribution in the pending divorce action. “Accordingly, the Bank could acquire no greater interest in the marital home than that of [Husband]. Here, it turns out that [Husband] has no interest in the marital home. Therefore, the Bank also has no interest in the home.” Id. at 14. In summary, a creditor cannot touch the interest of a non-debtor spouse, e.g. their share of a marital home.

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Grounds and Equitable Distribution in Montgomery County

Montgomery County has a different procedure regarding grounds for divorce and equitable distribution matters. Once grounds are established and discovery is complete, the moving party should file a Motion for Entry of Grounds and Appointment of an Equitable Distribution Master. The moving party will now have to pay a $400 fee at the time the Motion is filed. The Motion must certify that all discovery is complete. A list of all the assets and debts at issue along with their corresponding values must also be included. Finally, the initial pre-hearing statement should be attached including a completed Inventory and Appraisement. Once the Motion and all its required accompaniments are filed, a copy of the same should be served on the other party. A Certificate of Service should then be completed and filed with the court.

The non-moving party has forty-five (45) days from the date of service to file their own pre-hearing statement and Inventory and Appraisement. Similarly, a copy should be served on the moving party and a Certificate of Service should be filed with the court. The non-moving party must also certify that all discovery is complete and include a list of all assets and debts with values as of the date of filing the certification. The failure of either party to comply the Rule may result in sanctions such as barring testimony or prohibiting introduction of certain evidence at the equitable distribution proceedings from the party that failed to comply. Where equitable distribution, alimony or counsel fees is not at issue or has settled by agreement and grounds have been established, the moving party can file a standard praecipe to transmit the record for divorce decree.

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Pensions in Pay Status

Pensions already in pay status at the time of separation require additional considerations in a divorce matter. The pensions can still be divided as a marital asset however the method of valuing the total value of the pension for distribution is altered. This is because often elections for survivor benefits are made at the time the benefits commence and are usually irrevocable. Accordingly, any survivor benefit should be valued separately and set against the value of the pension itself. Pensions in pay status also present a unique issue when it comes to support.

Based on the case law established in Pennsylvania it is impermissible to use a monthly pension benefit as income available for support and also divide the pension itself as an asset in equitable distribution. This was made clear in Cerny v. Cerny, 440 Pa. Super. 550 (1995) and reiterated in Rohrer v. Rohrer ,715 A.2d 463 (1998). This same rule extends beyond just monthly pension benefits as evidenced by the fact pattern in Cerny. There, Husband had received a lump sum payment from his employer following termination. The lump sum was split as an asset and the figure received was also the basis for income available with respect to the support award. Husband was successful in appealing the decision such that the payment was only considered for support purposes and deemed a separate asset for equitable distribution purposes.

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Same Sex Divorce

In a decision rendered May 20, 2014, the Honorable John E. Jones, III, sitting for the US District Court in the Middle District on the case of Whitewood v. Michael Wolf, ruled that two of Pennsylvania’s laws regarding marriage were unconstitutional on the basis that they violated the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth amendment. Now that Pennsylvania recognizes same-sex marriages, same-sex partners looking to dissolve their marriage are subject to the same process as far as divorce, equitable distribution and support. Most divorces proceed on the basis of no-fault meaning the parties need only allege an “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” and either consent to the divorce after a 90-day period or establish 2-year separation. A no-fault divorce can also be obtained if one of the spouses is institutionalized for a period of 18 months provided they will likely still be institutionalized 18 months following the commencement of the divorce.

Equitable distribution is the term used in Pennsylvania referring to division of marital property at the time of divorce. Marital property will consist of nearly everything acquired in either party’s name from the date of marriage through to the date of separation. Equitable distribution does not necessarily mean a 50/50 split of all marital property. Instead, the statute on equitable distribution sets out 13 factors to be considered. Section 4321 of the Domestic Relations laws provides that married persons are liable for the support of each other according to their respective abilities to provide support as provided by law. Similar to child support, spousal support will be calculated based on a statewide guideline. Without children, spousal support is 40% of the difference of the net incomes of the parties. If there is also a child support order, spousal support will only be 30% of the difference of the net incomes.

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Important Dates for Defining Marital Property

There is often a misconception that assets and debts individual names will not be divided as part of a divorce action. This is simply not true. Section 3501 of the Divorce Code defines marital property as anything acquired by either party from the date of marriage up to the date of final separation. It also includes any increase in value on pre-marital assets. In the event of reconciliation after separation, the time frame for items acquired during the marriage and ultimately subject to distribution would change as the Divorce Code refers to final separation as the date to consider when determining the marital estate.

Case law has distinguished what actions/behavior will be considered a successful reconciliation, hence eliminating any prior date of separation for cut-off of the marital estate, versus those actions/behavior that will not change the initial separation date. Separation for the purposes of divorce is defined as the “complete cessation of any and all cohabitation.” Cohabitation, though not specifically defined in the Divorce Code, is generally understood to be living and dwelling together as husband and wife with the mutual assumption of all marital rights, duties and obligations.

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Mere attempts at reconciliation likely do not change the date of separation for the purposes of divorce. There must be more than just remaining in the same house overnight or for the weekend or taking a week long trip together. Even isolated instances of sexual relations do not mark successful reconciliation. The court will examine the facts of the reconciliation to determine if it was a full-blown resumption of the marital relationship which would potentially result in a different date of separation or alternatively, treat the failed attempt as further evidence that the marriage is irretrievably broken and the divorce should proceed on the initial separation date. In Britton v. Britton, 400 Pa. Super. 43 (1990) a reconciliation did defeat the period of separation when the reconciliation lasted three months, the parties resumed living together, ceased to maintain separate residences, jointly purchased a townhome, shared the same bedroom, engaged in sexual relations, shared a joint bank account and had a social life as husband and wife.

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