When people get divorced, they have to divide all of their personal property. Personal property is what I refer to as all of the “stuff” inside the house. This includes, dishes, plates, tables, televisions, pictures, tools, etc. So, how does all of the personal property get divided. There are a few options:
- Walk-Through. This requires the husband and wife to walk-through the house and each putting a sticker on the items they want. If only one sticker, that person gets it. If each put a sticker on an item, that gets set aside for future discussion.
- Making Lists. Sometimes, one person makes two lists and then the other person picks which list they want. This is a common method because it forces whomever is making the list to be fair, or risk having the other person pick the “better” list.
- Arbitration. This method requires the hiring of a third-party who will make the final decision. Can get expensive.
- Everything Must Go. If the parties are unable to work out a division of personal property, the Court can just order that everything be sold.
In the end, my advice is not to fight over things which can be easily replaced. In other words, don’t spend thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees over things you can replace for hundreds.