How Do I Stop My Soon To Be Ex-Spouse From Taking My Personal Belongings From The House In Pasco County?

I’m sorry to hear about your situation. The period of time immediately before or after a divorce action is filed can be extremely emotional, and in many cases one spouse will take rash actions. One common complaint is that a spouse removed a large amount of furniture and other personal assets from the home without the other spouse’s permission.

If you are fearful your spouse will take your things, there are a few steps you can take. First, if the items are purchased during marriage, they are marital property and he/she cannot take them without permission during a divorce. Any assets acquired prior to the marriage, or were purchased with non-marital funds, are the assets of that spouse and can be taken without permission. You should make an inventory of all of the contents of the home. Document your list with photos.

As part of the actual divorce action, you can ask for a court order prohibiting him/her from removing any marital assets. If something is taken, make notes about the day you saw him or her leaving with it, or when you noticed it was missing. You can also ask about these assets during the discovery phase of the divorce. You can also ask the judge to order them returned, or their value deducted from his or her share of the marital estate in the settlement.

Also, and this may be common sense, but if you anticipate your soon-to-be former spouse is eagerly anticipating stealing your personal belongings, limit your time away from the home. You will still need to go to work and any necessary errands and you should not be chained to the home, but now would not be the time to leave for a weekend away or very late nights out unless necessary.