Dallas Divorce Law Blog : Dallas Texas Divorce Lawyer & Attorney : O'Neil Anderson Law Firm : TX Child Support & Custody Issues

Recently I had a potential Dallas divorce client present the following scenario to me.  Wife was involved in an at-fault car accident.  Wife is sued by the other driver.  Husband is concerned that the person his wife was in an accident with will go after "all" the property they own, even husband's prized baseball card collection he had before marriage.  The question then became, can they take my separate property for my wife's negligence?

There are two steps for determining what marital property can be seized and sold to satisfy a liability created during marriage.  First, determine whether the property in question (to be seized) falls within an overall class of marital property that would be liable for or exempt from seizure under the Texas Family Code. 

For a debt arising out of a tort (in this case negligence in a car wreck) the at-fault spouse's separate property can be seized to satisfy the debt.  In contrast, the separate property of the not-at-fault spouse (in this case, Husband's beloved baseball card collection he owned prior to marriage) is not subject to seizure to satisfy the debt arising out of the tort.

So, bottom line, the answer is NO.  The separate property of a not-at-fault spouse is not subject to seizure for a liability arising out of a tort committed by the other spouse. 

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Businesses can pose special challenges upon divorce. As Dallas divorce attorneys, we deal with these issues in many of our cases, with businesses acquired during the marriage and also businesses owned by one spouse before marriage.

Texas law typically treats corporations, partnerships, and other types of businesses as a separate legal entity – existing apart from shareholders and partners. Because these businesses are separate legal entities, only the spouse’s interest in the corporation, partnership or other business is up for division by the divorce court. This means that specific corporate assets are often off-limits in a divorce action. But, there is an exception to this rule when alter ego can be established.

If the business is found to be the “alter ego” of a spouse, divorce courts can “pierce the corporate veil” to move assets out of the corporation and divide them between the parties as part of the shareholder's community estate. A finding of alter ego sufficient to justify piercing in the divorce context requires the trial court to find:

 (1)       unity between the corporation and the spouse such that the separateness of the corporation has ceased to exist, and

(2)        the spouse's improper use of the corporation damaged the community estate beyond that which might be remedied by a claim for reimbursement.

The concepts of alter ego and piercing are applied in divorce cases to achieve an equitable result, that is, a just and right division of the marital estate. Generally, the divorce court will pierce to avoid leaving the community estate with virtually no property.

Whether you are a business owner, spouse of the business owner, or the attorney representing either party, when a business interest is part of the community estate, or owned by one spouse during the marriage, keep the equitable principles of alter ego and piercing the corporate veil in mind when evaluating the strategy for a divorce proceeding.

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Part of any divorce in Dallas Texas is dividing the marital estate. A marital estate includes both the assets and debts that are considered community property and does not include any separate property assets of either spouse.

1.  Identify the property.

The first step in dividing the marital estate in a divorce is to identify all of the property that either spouse owns, without regard to when or how the property was acquired.

2.  Characterize the property.

The second step in dividing the marital estate involves characterizing the marital property as either community property or separate property. Community property includes any asset that was obtained during the marriage. For example, a person's earnings received during the marriage are community property so anything purchased with those earnings would also be community property. Any asset owned before the marriage or acquired through gift or inheritance would be that spouse's separate property and would not be subject to division by the divorce court. Likewise, any debt incurred during the marriage based on the spouse's credit would be a community debt. Any debt that was obtained prior to the marriage or during the marriage but where the creditor agreed to look only to the spouse's separate property for satisfaction, the debt would be separate.

3.  Value the community property.

Before a court -- or the parties in negotiations -- can assess whether a division of the marital estate is "just and right" under the law, a value must be assessed to each asset. For example, a residence or antique collection may need to be appraised. Often the marital estate will own an interest in a business entity, so the business entity will need to be valued. Pension plans can be troublesome to value because of the future time value of money. Debt values also need to be obtained.

4.  Undertake a just and right division of the community estate.

The legal standard for division of property in Texas is that the division must be "just and right". The courts are required to begin with a 50/50 division of the entire estate (assets and debts) and adjust from there based on whatever equities exist in a particular situation. Such equities may include that one spouse has a disability, or the other spouse has much greater earning capacity. Custody of children and the size of a spouse's separate estate can also be considered. The division does not have to be half of each asset. Much like a balance sheet in the business context, one asset can be awarded to one spouse and another asset can be awarded in its entirety to the other spouse with an adjustment for the value of each asset. Also, one asset may not be worth the same to a particular spouse as another asset. One spouse may value cash in the bank more highly and the other spouse may value maintaining retirement assets. All of these factors must be considered in the division.
 

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I received a question from a client today asking how the court would determine the value of the piece of property in the community estate.  Often times, the parties will litigate over the value of a piece of property, so it is important to know how, in the absence of an agreement, the court will determine a property's value.

As a general rule, property is valued according to its fair market value as of the date the marriage is dissolved.  Texas courts have routinely defined fair market value as the price the property will bring when it is offered for sale for one who desires, but does not need to, sell, and is bought by a person who desires, but is not required to, buy.

If a piece of property doesn't have a fair market value, the property can be valued using its intrinsic value.  The intrinsic value of property is the actual monetary value of the property's use to the owner, excluding any fanciful or sentimental consideration.  In determining intrinsic value, the fact finder cannot consider any evidence of the property's fair market value, but can consider the property's original purchase price, its replacement cost, its uses, and any other facts that might shed light on its intrinsic value.

In sum, the majority of the time the court will determine value by using the fair market value approach at the time the divorce is granted.  Obviously parties frequently have differing opinions as to property values, but using the fair market value approach is a relatively objective means to obtaining a value.

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On July 8, 2009, the Tyler Court of Appeals affirmed a judgment for monetary damages in favor of one spouse against the other.  In Colvin v. Colvin, the husband sued his wife for personal injury damages caused by his wife in an automobile collision.  Wife was the driver of a car and the husband was the passenger.  Wife and a third party were in a collision, third party sued wife, and then husband intervened in the lawsuit and sued third party and wife (husband and wife were married at the time and are still so). 

The trial court awarded damages to husband against wife, and wife appealed.  On appeal, the Tyler Court Appeals affirmed the trial court's ruling.  Interestingly, the Colvin opinion does not mention whether or not husband and wife are still married. 

The Colvin opinion presents an interesting situation.  Under Texas law, community property is divided into two types: (1) joint management; and (2) sole management.  The community property characterization is important because if one spouse is held liable for a tort (i.e. negligence) during marriage, then the court may satisfy the judgment by looking to the community property jointly managed by the spouses as well as the sole management community property of the non-culpable spouse.  In result in Colvin is that in a sense the trial court could look to the community property jointly managed by the husband and wife, and the husband's sole management community property, to satisfy the judgment.  

As a Dallas divorce lawyer, our clients frequenltly are unaware of the concepts of joint and sole management community property.  In a nutshell, if either spouse is held liable for tortious conduct during marriage, then all property other than the non-culpable spouse's separate property may be used to satisfy the judgment. 

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Recently I came across a blog discussing tips to surviving a divorce.  Interestingly, the blog wasn't written by an attorney but the divorce survival tips all come back to one thing - the importance of hiring a good lawyer.  The blog has some good tips that apply to a divorce in Dallas Texas which I will outline in the order they were presented.

1. Hire a good divorce lawyer.  Hiring an attorney that is compatible with your personality is absolutely critical in protecting your rights and best interests during such a troubling time.  The right attorney serves not only as a mediator but also as an advocate of your interests.
2. Keep written records of everything.  Keeping a journal of who said what and when often shows which of the parties is more organized.  Also, written records of conversations are helpful during the division of community property.
3. Keep your cool.  Although this is a stressful time, keep in mind that everything you say or do is going to be looked at under a microscope.  If you lose your cool, you can stand to lose a lot.  Not only in terms of property, but also in custody determinations. 
4. Read everything.  Obviously, a good attorney will ensure that you understand everything relating to the division of property and custody issues.  However, never assume that just because your attorney reads everything that you are not responsible for doing the same.
5. No guilt trips.  This ties in closely with number three.  Remember, nobody likes a sneaky, passive aggressive person.  Communicate your concerns to your attorney in a direct manner.  Address any problems as they arise - not after everything has built up and is coming to a head.
6. Never use children as leverage.  All to often we see clients who put their interests (i.e. revenge) before those of their kids.  Remember that the divorce is not their fault, and that you have absolutely nothing to gain (but very much to lose) by using your children as a bargaining tool.

Although these may seem like common sense, it is easy to forget them during a divorce proceeding.  A good divorce attorney who clicks with your personality will help you remember them.

Our firm would like to help you with your divorce.  We represent people getting a divorce in Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant Counties in Texas.

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Frequently we are asked what recourse is available when one spouse attempts to hide assets of the marital estate during a divorce.  Not only is such conduct highly unethical, it is fraudulent as well.  Typically a forensic accountant is called in to help search for hidden assets.  In our experiences, here are some reoccurring methods used to hide assets:

• Purchasing lavish antiques, artwork or hobby equipment.  Often times property such as this is overlooked and undervalued;
• Collusion with an employer to delay the payment of bonuses, stock options or raises;
• Setting up a custodial account in the name of a child;
• Repaying a "debt" to a family member or friend when such payments were no previously made;
• Salary paid to a non-existent employee if the spouse is a business owner;
• Money paid to close friends or family members for "business" services not actually rendered; and
• Investment in municipal bonds or Series EE Savings Bonds for which no interest is reported on tax returns.

If you suspect you spouse is hiding assets it is a good idea to review all financial records prior to filing for divorce.  If you are responding to a divorce we suggest you retain the services of a qualified forensic accountant.

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