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When Is 'Not Equal' Equitable?

By Karen M. Platt
October 02, 2014

It is well settled that Equitable Distribution does not mean equal distribution, and we counsel our clients that the tides shift toward “equal” the longer the parties are married ' particularly if there are children of the marriage. We also often default to thinking in terms of short marriages being unlikely to yield maintenance awards, particularly awards of any length. But is that what the cases are really telling us?

After examining numerous cases where there have been unequal divisions of assets, it remains difficult to decipher a clear pattern, although some trends are apparent. Of course, the lack of a pattern is consistent with the concept that the trier of fact is best positioned to determine what is equitable; however, this leaves us, the practitioners, scratching our heads and trying to guess what facts will sway a judge.

This article addresses the division of martial estates as a whole, and does not look at the division of business interests, enhanced earning capacity and related assets, which are typically divided unequally.

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