How does marriage affect property ownership?
In Ohio, the act of getting married does not give either a husband or wife an ownership interest in assets that were owned by the other spouse before the marriage. It also does not create an obligation or liability for the premarital debts of the other spouse. Assets acquired after the marriage may be titled jointly by the couple or held in the separate name of either spouse. However, if one spouse dies, the surviving spouse has rights under the law whether or not the deceased spouse had a will. Those rights include a family allowance, an interest in real property and the right to remain in the couple’s home for at least one year, even if all assets were owned in the deceased spouse’s name. A non-owner spouse has an ownership interest in real estate, whether acquired before or after the marriage, that cannot be released without his or her consent. In case of a divorce, the court decides how assets will be divided between spouses. What should we do about insurance beneficiaries? If you
