As Passed by the House

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
H. B. No. 238


Representative Harwood 

Cosponsors: Representatives Murray, Williams, B., Pillich, Yuko, Chandler, Huffman, Letson, Bacon, Batchelder, Belcher, Bolon, Boyd, Brown, Bubp, Carney, Coley, Combs, DeBose, DeGeeter, Domenick, Driehaus, Dyer, Evans, Fende, Garland, Goyal, Grossman, Hagan, Harris, Hottinger, Luckie, Mallory, Newcomb, Oelslager, Okey, Patten, Phillips, Snitchler, Yates 



A BILL
To amend section 3105.171 of the Revised Code to 1
require the court in divorce or legal separation 2
proceedings to require the spouses to fully 3
disclose their assets and to include nondisclosure 4
of assets as financial misconduct.5


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That section 3105.171 of the Revised Code be 6
amended to read as follows:7

       Sec. 3105.171.  (A) As used in this section:8

       (1) "Distributive award" means any payment or payments, in9
real or personal property, that are payable in a lump sum or over10
time, in fixed amounts, that are made from separate property or11
income, and that are not made from marital property and do not12
constitute payments of spousal support, as defined in section13
3105.18 of the Revised Code.14

       (2) "During the marriage" means whichever of the following is 15
applicable:16

       (a) Except as provided in division (A)(2)(b) of this section, 17
the period of time from the date of the marriage through the date 18
of the final hearing in an action for divorce or in an action for 19
legal separation;20

       (b) If the court determines that the use of either or both of 21
the dates specified in division (A)(2)(a) of this section would be 22
inequitable, the court may select dates that it considers 23
equitable in determining marital property. If the court selects 24
dates that it considers equitable in determining marital property, 25
"during the marriage" means the period of time between those dates 26
selected and specified by the court.27

       (3)(a) "Marital property" means, subject to division28
(A)(3)(b) of this section, all of the following:29

       (i) All real and personal property that currently is owned by 30
either or both of the spouses, including, but not limited to, the 31
retirement benefits of the spouses, and that was acquired by32
either or both of the spouses during the marriage;33

       (ii) All interest that either or both of the spouses34
currently has in any real or personal property, including, but not 35
limited to, the retirement benefits of the spouses, and that was 36
acquired by either or both of the spouses during the marriage;37

       (iii) Except as otherwise provided in this section, all38
income and appreciation on separate property, due to the labor,39
monetary, or in-kind contribution of either or both of the spouses 40
that occurred during the marriage;41

       (iv) A participant account, as defined in section 148.01 of 42
the Revised Code, of either of the spouses, to the extent of the 43
following: the moneys that have been deferred by a continuing 44
member or participating employee, as defined in that section, and 45
that have been transmitted to the Ohio public employees deferred 46
compensation board during the marriage and any income that is 47
derived from the investment of those moneys during the marriage; 48
the moneys that have been deferred by an officer or employee of a 49
municipal corporation and that have been transmitted to the 50
governing board, administrator, depository, or trustee of the 51
deferred compensation program of the municipal corporation during 52
the marriage and any income that is derived from the investment of 53
those moneys during the marriage; or the moneys that have been 54
deferred by an officer or employee of a government unit, as 55
defined in section 148.06 of the Revised Code, and that have been 56
transmitted to the governing board, as defined in that section, 57
during the marriage and any income that is derived from the 58
investment of those moneys during the marriage.59

       (b) "Marital property" does not include any separate60
property.61

       (4) "Passive income" means income acquired other than as a62
result of the labor, monetary, or in-kind contribution of either63
spouse.64

       (5) "Personal property" includes both tangible and intangible 65
personal property.66

       (6)(a) "Separate property" means all real and personal67
property and any interest in real or personal property that is68
found by the court to be any of the following:69

       (i) An inheritance by one spouse by bequest, devise, or70
descent during the course of the marriage;71

       (ii) Any real or personal property or interest in real or72
personal property that was acquired by one spouse prior to the73
date of the marriage;74

       (iii) Passive income and appreciation acquired from separate 75
property by one spouse during the marriage;76

       (iv) Any real or personal property or interest in real or77
personal property acquired by one spouse after a decree of legal78
separation issued under section 3105.17 of the Revised Code;79

       (v) Any real or personal property or interest in real or80
personal property that is excluded by a valid antenuptial81
agreement;82

       (vi) Compensation to a spouse for the spouse's personal83
injury, except for loss of marital earnings and compensation for84
expenses paid from marital assets;85

       (vii) Any gift of any real or personal property or of an86
interest in real or personal property that is made after the date87
of the marriage and that is proven by clear and convincing88
evidence to have been given to only one spouse.89

       (b) The commingling of separate property with other property 90
of any type does not destroy the identity of the separate property 91
as separate property, except when the separate property is not 92
traceable.93

       (B) In divorce proceedings, the court shall, and in legal94
separation proceedings upon the request of either spouse, the95
court may, determine what constitutes marital property and what96
constitutes separate property. In either case, upon making such a 97
determination, the court shall divide the marital and separate98
property equitably between the spouses, in accordance with this99
section. For purposes of this section, the court has jurisdiction 100
over all property, excluding the social security benefits of a 101
spouse other than as set forth in division (F)(9) of this section, 102
in which one or both spouses have an interest.103

       (C)(1) Except as provided in this division or division (E) of 104
this section, the division of marital property shall be equal. If 105
an equal division of marital property would be inequitable, the 106
court shall not divide the marital property equally but instead 107
shall divide it between the spouses in the manner the court 108
determines equitable. In making a division of marital property, 109
the court shall consider all relevant factors, including those set 110
forth in division (F) of this section.111

       (2) Each spouse shall be considered to have contributed112
equally to the production and acquisition of marital property.113

       (3) The court shall provide for an equitable division of114
marital property under this section prior to making any award of115
spousal support to either spouse under section 3105.18 of the116
Revised Code and without regard to any spousal support so awarded.117

       (4) If the marital property includes a participant account, 118
as defined in section 148.01 of the Revised Code, the court shall 119
not order the division or disbursement of the moneys and income 120
described in division (A)(3)(a)(iv) of this section to occur in a 121
manner that is inconsistent with the law, rules, or plan governing 122
the deferred compensation program involved or prior to the time 123
that the spouse in whose name the participant account is 124
maintained commences receipt of the moneys and income credited to 125
the account in accordance with that law, rules, and plan.126

       (D) Except as otherwise provided in division (E) of this127
section or by another provision of this section, the court shall128
disburse a spouse's separate property to that spouse. If a court129
does not disburse a spouse's separate property to that spouse, the 130
court shall make written findings of fact that explain the factors 131
that it considered in making its determination that the spouse's 132
separate property should not be disbursed to that spouse.133

       (E)(1) The court may make a distributive award to facilitate, 134
effectuate, or supplement a division of marital property. The 135
court may require any distributive award to be secured by a lien 136
on the payor's specific marital property or separate property.137

       (2) The court may make a distributive award in lieu of a138
division of marital property in order to achieve equity between139
the spouses, if the court determines that a division of the140
marital property in kind or in money would be impractical or141
burdensome.142

       (3) The court shall require each spouse to disclose in a full 143
and complete manner all marital property, separate property, and 144
other assets of the spouse.145

       (4) If a spouse has engaged in financial misconduct,146
including, but not limited to, the dissipation, destruction,147
concealment, nondisclosure, or fraudulent disposition of assets, 148
the court may compensate the offended spouse with a distributive 149
award or with a greater award of marital property.150

       (F) In making a division of marital property and in151
determining whether to make and the amount of any distributive152
award under this section, the court shall consider all of the153
following factors:154

       (1) The duration of the marriage;155

       (2) The assets and liabilities of the spouses;156

       (3) The desirability of awarding the family home, or the157
right to reside in the family home for reasonable periods of time, 158
to the spouse with custody of the children of the marriage;159

       (4) The liquidity of the property to be distributed;160

       (5) The economic desirability of retaining intact an asset or 161
an interest in an asset;162

       (6) The tax consequences of the property division upon the163
respective awards to be made to each spouse;164

       (7) The costs of sale, if it is necessary that an asset be165
sold to effectuate an equitable distribution of property;166

       (8) Any division or disbursement of property made in a167
separation agreement that was voluntarily entered into by the168
spouses;169

       (9) Any retirement benefits of the spouses, excluding the 170
social security benefits of a spouse except as may be relevant for 171
purposes of dividing a public pension;172

       (10) Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be173
relevant and equitable.174

       (G) In any order for the division or disbursement of property 175
or a distributive award made pursuant to this section, the court 176
shall make written findings of fact that support the determination 177
that the marital property has been equitably divided and shall 178
specify the dates it used in determining the meaning of "during 179
the marriage."180

       (H) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the holding 181
of title to property by one spouse individually or by both spouses 182
in a form of co-ownership does not determine whether the property 183
is marital property or separate property.184

       (I) A division or disbursement of property or a distributive 185
award made under this section is not subject to future 186
modification by the court.187

       (J) The court may issue any orders under this section that it 188
determines equitable, including, but not limited to, either of the 189
following types of orders:190

       (1) An order granting a spouse the right to use the marital 191
dwelling or any other marital property or separate property for 192
any reasonable period of time;193

       (2) An order requiring the sale or encumbrancing of any real 194
or personal property, with the proceeds from the sale and the 195
funds from any loan secured by the encumbrance to be applied as 196
determined by the court.197

       Section 2. That existing section 3105.171 of the Revised Code 198
is hereby repealed.199