Opinion ID: 2058318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Division of Marital Property/Personal Jurisdiction

Text: The Family Court did not address the contentions of the parties with respect to its ability to exercise personal jurisdiction over the Husband. However, we are cognizant of the desirability, when possible, of dissolving a marriage and resolving the parties' property rights in a single proceeding. Wife W. v. Husband W., Del.Super., 307 A.2d 812, 814 (1973), aff'd, Del. Supr., 327 A.2d 754 (1974). Therefore, we note that even when the Family Court has subject matter jurisdiction to divide marital property, incident to a Delaware divorce proceeding, it does not follow ipso facto that the Family Court has the ability to divide the parties marital property. Cottone v. Cottone, Del.Fam., 547 A.2d 625 (1988). Before the Family Court can properly exercise its ancillary subject matter jurisdiction in a Delaware divorce proceeding, the requirements of due process which are necessary for it to exercise in personam jurisdiction over the respondent must also have been satisfied. Id. at 628-29.