Dividing the Marital Home Even When Spouses Arent Speaking
Posted on Apr 9, 2013 12:00am PDT
What steps should a divorcing couple take to sell their house when they
can't communicate with one another? In Georgia and elsewhere, couples
are faced with this question when dividing their marital property. As
we all know, divorces can be emotional, and the emotions may run even
higher when discussing the home the couple used to share.
When getting assistance from a third party, such as a real estate agent,
it may be helpful for a divorcing couple to have both a man agent and
a woman agent present to assist the process. This may make the tension
between the couple more cooperative and comfortable. Agents helping the
couple should be aware they will likely have to have the same conversation
with each spouse. Divorcing couples should be intentional when choosing
their agents; they should seek agents who understand that selling the
house during the divorce process may be emotional.
Georgia is an equitable distribution state, which means that if a divorcing
couple cannot agree on how to divide their property, a court may make
decisions on the property division based on what is fair. In dividing
marital property, not all property is necessarily divided. There are two
types of property -- marital and nonmarital property. Pieces of property
that may be considered for equitable division include homes, checking
accounts, retirement accounts and household items. Nonmarital property
stays with its owner.
Having to divide marital property is a reality in most divorces. However,
it is important to be as cooperative as possible so that the process is
efficient and spouses may begin their new lives.