Who Gets The Furniture In An Orlando Divorce?

Florida is an equitable distribution state, which means that during a divorce a family law judge will divide marital assets and liabilities fairly. This does not necessarily mean marital property is divided equally. Marital assets include many different types of goods acquired by the couple during the marriage, including bank accounts, art collections, and more. Furniture obtained by the couple is also considered a marital asset.

Dividing furniture during a divorce can sometimes become more complex than dividing other assets. Clearly, a recliner or an end table cannot simply be divided in half. So, if you are getting a divorce, who will get the furniture? Our Orlando property division lawyer explains how these marital assets are divided, and how to make the most of your settlement, below.

Inventory All Items

You should always create a list of marital assets during a divorce, including all furniture you obtained with your spouse during the marriage. Before you can even begin to determine who will receive which pieces of furniture, you must take inventory of what you own. Go through your house room by room and write down any piece of furniture you acquired during the marriage. You should create another inventory of any separate property that you acquired before the marriage and brought into the relationship with you. This is separate property and is not subject to division.

Have the Value of Items Appraised

After you have created an inventory of all the items of furniture in your home, you should then obtain an appraisal of the property. Some people hire professional appraisers to do this, but you can estimate the worth of certain items by searching online for similar items and confirming their value. Once the value of each item has been determined separately, you should then add the values together to get a total. The total will be used as a basis for dividing the furniture.

How Furniture is Divided in a Divorce

In most cases, couples can agree to how the furniture is divided during divorce. The two parties may reach an agreement on their own, or they may reach an agreement after negotiations. When couples cannot reach an agreement, the matter will have to go to court. Family law judges will try to divide furniture fairly, but equal distribution may not always be possible or appropriate. For example, a judge may award more furniture to one spouse if the other party had an extramarital affair and spent household funds on it.

Our Property Division Lawyer in Orlando Can Advise on Your Case

If you are going through a divorce and are worried about the division of your marital property, our Orlando property division lawyer at Anderson & Ferrin, P.A. can help. Our skilled attorneys can negotiate with the other side to help you obtain the fair settlement you deserve, and will ensure your rights are upheld throughout the process.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061.html

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.075.html