Non-Marital Property
Application and Construction
In order to preserve a property’s non-marital status one must prove that the entire property was acquired exclusively by one of the methods listed in subsection (a), and that its character was not subsequently altered by action of the owner; the interpretation of the effect of subsection (b) upon subsection (a) of this section is consistent with the Act’s expressed preference for the classification of property as marital and the shifting of the burden of proof to the party seeking control of the property. In re Smith
Evidence
Where wife testified she told husband prior to the marriage that she wanted to continue paying the mortgage, insurance premiums and real estate taxes, she expressed an intention to maintain the residence as her separate property, and placed in trust the title to the residence with her daughters as beneficiaries, testimony rebutted the presumption of marital property raised. In re Holman
Federal Employer’s Liability Action
The cause of action set forth in count II of the husband’s Federal Employer’s Liability Action complaint was a separate property right and non-marital in nature where it arose following the entry of the judgment of dissolution; it could not properly have been considered part of the property settlement agreement. In re Waeckerle
Future Acquisition of Assets
The court must consider non-marital property, even where the non-marital property will be received in the future, when it determines the relevant economic circumstances of each spouse and the amount and sources of income of the parties, as well as the reasonable opportunity of each spouse for future acquisition of capital assets and income. In re Smith
Future Earning Capacity
Future earning capacity flowing from an education was not considered a marital asset and, thus, not divided by the court in a dissolution of marriage proceeding. In re Goldstein
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