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Unmarried couples and property division in Mississippi

On Behalf of | Jun 20, 2019 | Family Law, Firm News |

Many people in the Gulfport area probably do not need to see statistics to realize that more and more people are living together, either prior to marriage or with no intention of ever marrying at all. As a result, there may be many couples in Mississippi who have been together for a number of years and have acquired property together. Some may even have joint bank accounts or own a home jointly.

Still, Mississippi law does not provide for special treatment for unmarried couples breaking up under these circumstances. In fact, it may even be difficult to get a court in this state to recognize an agreement between domestic partners about how they wish to see their property divvied up should they separate.

An unmarried couple who has been together for a long time, or who has acquired a lot of property together, may face an uphill battle when it comes to trying to get their property divided. Generally speaking, the property will get divided according to the various property laws of this state.

This usually means that property will be divided according to how the property is titled. By way of example, if the couple has a home titled in both names, then there is a good chance that the value of the home will be divided 50-50. On the other hand, if the home happens to be in the name of only one of the two, then, subject to some rare exceptions, the person whose name is on the title will legally keep the home.

When it comes to property division, unmarried couples in Gulfport going through a split will have a special set of challenges. They may need help from an experienced family law attorney.