Pennsylvania Divorce Topic Of The Week: Antiques & Art

One of the most common fights that occur between spouses going through a Pittsburgh divorce is who gets to keep what. These arguments escalate and become that much more common when the couple has collected a large amount of artwork or antiques throughout the course of the marriage. In today’s blog, your Pennsylvania Equitable Distribution Lawyers provide you with some advice and tips on the best ways to decide who gets to keep the Andy Warhol painting and who gets the keep the antique table.

The first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what you have. Some of the paintings and antiques may be displayed throughout your home, but if you have any in the basement, attic, or in storage elsewhere, make a list of these items.

Next you need to determine which of the items are considered marital. Property is considered marital if it was purchased or given as a gift to the couple during the marriage. If a painting or bookshelf was acquired in one way or another, except via inheritance to an individual spouse, it will be split between the parties during their Pennsylvania divorce. If an object was obtained prior to the marriage, it belongs to the spouse who purchased or inherited it and won’t be subject to division in the divorce proceeding.

Lastly, you need to figure out the value of each object. During the process of equitable division, a PA Family Law judge will divide the marital assets according to value. The end goal of the process is for each party to end up with the same value of objects, not the same number of objects. For example, the wife may end up getting to keep a $1 million dollar painting, and the husband may get to keep five paintings, each valued at $200,000, because in this situation they end up with the same value of objects.

If you are facing an Allegheny County divorce, it is in your best interest to hire a Pennsylvania Family Law Attorney, like our lawyers at Taybron Law Firm, LLC. Our team of experienced Pittsburgh divorce attorneys is here for you and can help you get through the often complicated and emotional process of divorce. Whether you are just contemplating divorce, have recently been served with divorce papers, or are in the middle of a divorce proceeding and want the assistance of a lawyer for the remainder of your case, contact us today!

Source: http://online.wsj.com/articles/divorce-death-and-divvying-up-the-art-1411333013