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Personal Injury Settlement in a Divorce in AZ | Hildebrand Law, PC

Sat 26th Aug, 2017 Arizona Estate Planning Attorneys

When working through a divorce, property division is often the most important and consuming component of the process. This process may be complicated if a personal injury settlement is involved because what can be divided in a settlement is heavily dependent on the circumstances of the case and the state legislation.

In some cases, it may not be possible to divide any of the settlement, whereas in others only certain parts may be subject to division. It all depends on what and how much of the settlement is considered communal property.

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Communal Property

Communal property is considered by many states to be any property, assets or earnings acquired during a marriage, meaning they are subject to division in a divorce. Anything acquired prior to the marriage is considered separate, or individual property, and is not subject to division in a divorce.

In a personal injury case, compensation for different damages may be considered either communal or individual property.

Usually, but not always, compensation for damages including pain and suffering are awarded solely to the injured spouse and not subject to division. Compensation for lost wages or property damage may be considered community property.

For some states, a personal injury settlement is considered communal property. Other states consider some components of the settlement to be communal, and others to be separate property. In addition, states differ on how they divide communal and separate property, meaning that a personal injury will vary greatly from state to state.

Community Property States

Dividing a Personal Injury Settlement in a Divorce in Arizona.

In a divorce settlement, a community property state equally divides all communal property between both spouses. So, in a community property state that considers a personal injury settlement to be communal property, the whole settlement is equally divided. Other communal property states will equally divide only the components of a settlement that are considered communal property.

The Equitable Division States

The majority of states follow the equitable division approach, which divides all communal property in a divorce fairly, rather

than equally. Equitable division states vary in how they treat personal injury awards. Whereas some equitable division states may consider the whole settlement as communal property, others, such as New York, consider the settlement to be separate property belonging only to the spouse awarded the settlement.

In cases where some or all of the settlement is considered divisible, the communal components will be divided in a way the courts think is fair. So, if the spouse initially awarded the settlement has significantly more separate property, then the court may award a majority of the communal assets of the settlement to the other spouse.

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Exceptions

There may be exceptions to these guidelines if:

  • The personal injury settlement happened outside of the marriage
  • The settlement money was commingled with marital assets
  • The settlement award is specifically allocated early on

As it may be evident, the division of a personal injury settlement in a divorce is mostly dependent on what state you live in, and the circumstances of your case and marriage. Hiring an experienced personal injury and/or divorce lawyer, like personal injury lawyer Fort Lauderdale FL trusts, in your area will be beneficial in understanding and navigating your specific case.

If you have questions about dividing a personal injury settlement in an Arizona divorce case, you should seriously consider contacting the attorneys at Hildebrand Law, PC. Our Arizona community property and family law attorneys have decades of combined experience successfully representing clients in community property disputes and family law cases.

Our family law firm has earned numerous awards such as US News and World Reports Best Arizona Family Law Firm, US News and World Report Best Divorce Attorneys, “Best of the Valley” by Arizona Foothills readers, and “Best Arizona Divorce Law Firms” by North Scottsdale Magazine.

Call us today at (480)305-8300 or reach out to us through our appointment scheduling form to schedule your personalized consultation and turn your Arizona community property or family law case around today.

Thanks to our friends and contributors from Needle & Ellenberg, P.C. for their insight into personal injury settlements.

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