Is Mississippi a Community Property State
From LoveToKnow Divorce
If you are looking for answer to the question, "Is Mississippi a community property state?", please continue reading to find out how marital property is distributed when a marriage ends.
Is Mississippi a Community Property State?: The Answer
In Mississippi, marital property is divided according to the rules of equitable distribution. This means that the property acquired during the marriage is not necessarily divided in half.
Mississippi: A Title State
In Mississippi, each person has the right to retain ownership to his or her property, which means that if one person has title to the property, it is not included in marital property. Separate property is not included in marital property calculations.
Equitable Distribution Defined
In general terms, equitable division refers to dividing the property in a way that is fair. This may or may not mean a 50/50 split. In most cases, the couple works out an agreement for how their marital property will be divided. When they are unable to do so, the matter goes to court, and a judge is asked to determine what is fair in that situation.
The Court can make any determination that it considers to be fair, which may mean that one person gets nothing and the other one is awarded 100 percent of the marital property. In Mississippi, the Court may consider these factors when determining what is equitable in the circumstances:
- Contribution each spouse made to accumulating the marital property
- Market value of the property
- Emotional value of the property to each spouse
- Degree to which a spouse has disposed of any marital property
- Value of any separate property
- Needs of each person
- Whether awarding the property to one spouse over another will eliminate the need to order alimony
- Tax implications of dividing the marital property in a particular manner
Information About Property Title
If you want to get a divorce in Mississippi, you should gather as much information about the property you and your spouse have accumulated as possible. The following information will be helpful:
- Date of purchase
- Current value of the property
- Serial numbers
The answer to the question, "Is Mississippi a community property state?" is not the entire story when it comes to property division in Mississippi. For more information about marital property in Mississippi, please consult a licensed attorney.
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