Texas is one of nine states that is a community property jurisdiction. In general, this means that any property acquired by a couple during their marriage (with a few exceptions) is equally owned by both spouses. This can have a profound effect on the dissolution of property during divorce proceedings.
So if you're wondering what happens if you bought a house before marriage in Texas, the state would generally view that home as your separate property, meaning the home is not considered community property or subject to fair and equitable division upon divorce.
Therefore, even if your name is not on the deed, you may still have a legal claim to the property. This joint ownership concept is vital for understanding your rights in a Texas divorce and ensures that both spouses have equitable rights over property acquired during the marriage.
In Texas, the principle of 'just and right' division governs the distribution of assets in a divorce. This means that the court will divide community property in a manner that it considers fair and equitable, rather than adhering to a strict 50-50 split. Various factors such as: the nature of the assets.
The surviving spouse automatically receives all community property. Separate personal property also goes completely to the surviving spouse, while separate real property is split down the middle between the surviving spouse and the deceased's parents, siblings or siblings' descendants, in that order.
In Texas, there is no presumption that each party owns separate property. However, spouses do have equal ownership rights to their respective properties.
Addressing Spousal Support and Debt Payments The divorce decree will define who is responsible for specific debts, but creditors may still attempt to collect from either party if the debt was initially joint.
A debtor that is married might offer various defenses based on the community property laws of the state of Texas. This page discusses some of those issues. A spouse's separate property cannot be seized to satisfy a judgment against the other spouse unless both spouses are liable under other rule of law.
A partition agreement divides, or partitions, a married couple's community estate into two separate estates. It is sometimes called a post-nuptial or post-marital agreement and is similar to a prenuptial agreement, except that it is executed by a married couple.