Photo of the legal professionals at Harry Lewis Co., LPA
Photo of the legal professionals at Harry Lewis Co., LPA

Trusted In The Columbus Area
For More Than 40 Years

Photo of the legal professionals at Harry Lewis Co., LPA

Trusted In The Columbus Area For More Than 40 Years

Can the court divide property of people who are not married?

On Behalf of | Sep 4, 2018 | Property Division |

When you are in a long-term relationship, your lives become very comingled. You probably share many possessions and even live in home you own or share responsibility for. You may have a joint bank account and share debt. Sometimes relationships end, and if you are not married, there is no legal way to end your relationship and neatly divide property in Ohio. The court can only intervene to distribute debt and assets in a divorce.

However, according to the Ohio State Bar Association, you do have some other options for property distribution. You can file civil cases to handle the process if you cannot agree on how to split your shared property. You can go to court for a partition action, which allows the court to then decide who gets a physical property that you jointly own. For personal property, you could take the person to municipal court to request the return of the property, but you do have to prove ownership rights.

When it comes to debt, that is between you and your creditors. If you both took initial responsibility for debt, then you both continue to be liable for it. You may have refinancing options for secured debt that you could try so one of you could buy the other out, but in most cases, you will be stuck with the responsibility.

Ideally, you should aim to divide property without any legal intervention. It will save you time and money. This information is for education and is not legal advice.