Tenancy by the entirety refers to a form of shared property ownership that is usually reserved only for married couples. A tenancy by the entirety permits spouses to jointly own property as a single legal entity. This means that each spouse has an equal and undivided interest in the property.
Courts usually award each spouse his or her separate property and divide community property 50/50. Consequently, if the house is entirely one spouses' separate property, he or she almost always receives it unless the parties agree otherwise.
For instance, if you're married, the most common way to title your home is Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE). That endows survivorship rights, some creditor protection, and allows for transfers only with the consent of both spouses.
Washington's marital property laws recognize the concept of "community property," in which almost all property acquired during a marriage is presumed to be jointly owned by the spouses and therefore subject to equal division upon divorce.
In Washington, real property conveyed to a married person or a person in a registered domestic partnership is legally presumed to be community property. Exceptions to the rule include properties acquired as separate property by gift, bequest or by agreement (see Sole Ownership example 2 above).
For long-term marriages (over 25 years), the court will usually try to put both parties in an equal financial position for either the remainder of their lives or until both parties retire. The idea is that after 25 years, the parties should be recognized as financially equal partners.
Tenancy by the entirety is a type of property ownership that only applies to married couples. The couple is treated as a single legal entity and mutually co-owns the property.
Typically, matrimonial assets include the family home, pensions and savings. If an asset is non-matrimonial it means that is has been brought into the marriage by one spouse only.
For instance, if you're married, the most common way to title your home is Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE). That endows survivorship rights, some creditor protection, and allows for transfers only with the consent of both spouses.