Who Gets the House After a Divorce?

Answer:

I was recently asked a question about a long-term marriage in which the wife asked me the question of “What about the house that my husband acquired in his name before we were married, and how does the time and money that we both put into the house get accounted for?” In terms of a divorce, it is the judge’s job to financially disentangle the two of you. That being said, the house is separate property because it was acquired prior to the marriage, but that does not mean you are without recourse. The court will examine the actual monetary and non-monetary investments you made in that house to determine what your contribution to the appreciation in value of that house was over that period of time.