Quote:
Ohio is an equitable distribution state, meaning that the marital estate shall be divided equitably. In making a division of marital property, the court shall consider all of the following factors:
The duration of the marriage.
The assets and liabilities of the spouses.
The desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to reside in the family home for reasonable periods of time, to the spouse with custody of the children of the marriage.
The liquidity of the property to be distributed.
The economic desirability of retaining intact an asset or an interest in an asset.
The tax consequences of the property division upon the respective awards to be made to each spouse.
The costs of sale, if it is necessary that an asset be sold to effectuate an equitable distribution of property.
Any division or disbursement of property made in a separation agreement that was voluntarily entered into by the spouses.
Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant and equitable.
Separate property not subject to property division includes inheritances, property owned before the marriage[my bolding], passive income or appreciation acquired from separate property during the marriage, property acquired after a legal separation, property excluded by an antenuptial agreement, personal injury awards, and gifts given to only one spouse. [Based on Ohio Revised Code Section 3105.171]
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From:
http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/s.../Ohio_laws.htm
Presumably you up and left the marriage, didn't take what you wanted with you so it kind of became your wife's, especially if you bought it (the camera :-) during the marriage. Otherwise, I'd say it was 50/50 whatever you and she agree to equitably or a judge agreed to for you.
They're
things. If you want to work on the marriage, that's a relationship and with a person. If you don't want to work on the relationship with this person, divide up the things and move on.
You aren't paying on the house "for" her, you are paying on your joint property so it doesn't get foreclosed on and you both lose more than you bargained for. This is not a game of chicken! Work for the two of you, because
you love this person and want to be that kind of person or divide it all up and move on. There is nothing wrong with either choice but doing the "Mine!"/"No, mine!" game children play isn't getting you anywhere but further disgruntled? If you love her, you want her to have whatever she wants to have that is within your means; save up and buy another camera for yourself like that one. Learn to attach to people, not things.