Husbands and wives

luxury (adj) – роскошный;

item (n.) – предмет;

shelter (n.) – кров, пристанище;

property (n.) – собственность;

to acquire (v.) - приобретать;

spouse (n.) - супруг, супруга;

essentials (n. pl.) - предметы первой необходимости;

estate (n.) – недвижимое имущество.

In the past, the law considered the husband to be the head of the household. He had a duty to support his wife and children. In return for this support, he was entitled to his wife's household services and companionship. The law reflected this traditional view by giving husbands the legal right to make decisions such as where the family would live, how money would be spent, and other important matters. Over the past several decades, however, this view of marriage has been challenged by economic and social changes in our society. The law has also changed to reflect the idea that marriage is a partner­ship between equals.

Financial Responsibilities

Husbands and wives are now required to support one another in accordance with their respective needs and abilities. Many states re­quire both spouses to pay for necessary family items either of them purchases. However, some states retain the traditional rule that the husband has a legal duty to provide his wife with food, clothing, shel­ter, medical care, and other necessities. If the husband fails to pro­vide such essentials, the wife can purchase the necessary items and make her husband pay for them. At the same time, the wife has no legal duty to pay her husband s bills.

In addition to the basic necessities, some courts require the hus­band to maintain the family in accordance with his economic posi­tion. In general, however, a woman cannot obligate her husband to pay for luxury items bought without his knowledge.

Who owns property acquired during a marriage? At one time, the law considered a husband and wife as one person. This meant the wife had no property rights. Any money or property a woman owned before marriage or acquired during marriage became the property of her husband. In 1887, states began to pass married women's proper­ty acts that changed the law. These acts gave married women the right to own and control their own property.

Today, any property owned by either spouse before the marriage remains the property of that person throughout the marriage. Under this separate property system, whoever earns it, pays for it, is given it, or has title to it is considered to own it. Husbands and wives may make gifts to each other or place bank accounts, real estate, au­tomobiles, or other property in both names. When they do this, the property is the joint property of both spouses.

Nine states—Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin—and Puerto Rico have community property systems. These systems are usually derived from French and Spanish law. In community property states, all property acquired during the marriage belongs equally to the husband and wife. If the marriage breaks up, either by death or divorce, each spouse is entitled to one-half of all the property acquired during the marriage.

Contrast the community property system with the separate prop­erty system by considering the case of a married woman who does not work outside the home. In a community property state, the wife owns half of everything the couple acquire during the marriage, in­cluding the income of her husband. In a separate property state, the wife owns only property that she herself acquires or that is acquired in the names of both herself and her husband.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14