Focused man paying his bills in the living room

The filing of a divorce summons commences the action and terminates the marital economic partnership. As noted by the Court of Appeals in Mesholam v. Mesholam, 11 N.Y.3d 24, 27, 862 N.Y.S.2d 453 (2008), that partnership is to be considered dissolved when a divorce action is commenced.

Retroactive to the first request for support, often contained in the divorce summons, itself, the trial court has the power to order both spousal and child support. It can also determine the parties’ relative responsibilities for marital residence carrying charges and other expenses.

In light of the trial court’s power to determine the parties’ rights and obligations for the period the divorce action is pending, what should be done if a party’s uses marital assets to pay living expenses accruing after the divorce action is commenced.

In its June 30, 2016 decision in Carvalho v. Carvalho, the Appellate Division, Third Department, held that marital assets may be used while a divorce action is pending to pay for legitimate household and living expenses without needing to later offset the division of those assets. Moreover, the burden is on the non-spending party to prove that the marital assets were not used for such “legitimate” purposes.Continue Reading Charging a Party for Spending Marital Assets During the Divorce Action