In a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Missouri, the Court held that a spouses contribution to otherwise separate property creates a marital interest that can be divided by the Court.  In Missouri, property that was owned prior to the marriage is generally considered to be separate, non-marital property.  Separate property is awarded to the spouse who owns the property, and marital property is divided by the court in some ratio, very commonly 50/50.  There are exceptions to this rule of course, including, but not limited to, source of funds, transmutation, and marital contributions...

To continue reading the rest of this article written by Mark Wortman, go to the Missouri Divorce & Family Law Blog. The blog's homepage can be viewed here.