Opinion ID: 1598067
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: In otherwise failing to properly apply the criteria for equitable distribution.

Text: ¶ 11. One must remember that an equitable division of property does not always mean an equal division of property. Mississippi is not a community property state. Chamblee v. Chamblee, 637 So.2d 850, 863-64 (Miss.1994); Dillon v. Dillon, 498 So.2d 328, 330 (Miss.1986); Rives v. Rives, 416 So.2d 653, 657 (Miss. 1982). The community property system and Mississippi's system of equitable division are very dissimilar. In a community property state, the court may not look at the background of the marriage and/or the behavior of the married couple to decide what would constitute a just distribution of property. The law mandates an even division of all marital property and liability, regardless of each parties' respective contributions. ¶ 12. Under the system of equitable division, the courts in Mississippi are not so inhibited. The matter rather is committed to the discretion and conscience of the Court, having in mind all of the equities and other relevant facts and circumstances. Chamblee, 637 So.2d at 864 (citing Brown v. Brown, 574 So.2d 688, 691 (Miss.1990)). These cases show that the findings of the chancellor in this area are quite liberally construed. The chancery court is authorized to call for an equitable division of jointly accumulated property and in doing so to look behind the formal state of title. See, e.g., Jones v. Jones, 532 So.2d 574, 579-81 (Miss.1988); Regan v. Regan, 507 So.2d 54, 56 (Miss.1987) overruled on other grounds, Tramel v. Tramel, 740 So.2d 286 (Miss.1999); Watts v. Watts, 466 So.2d 889, 890-91 (Miss.1985). Ferguson, 639 So.2d at 928-29, set forth the factors to be weighed in determining an equitable division of marital property. ¶ 13. A main consideration in a proper division of property is the economic contributions made by each party to the marriage, both in terms of actual money earned and in terms of service without compensation such as domestic duties. Regan, 507 So.2d at 56; Pickle v. Pickle, 476 So.2d 32, 34 (Miss.1985). The case at bar features a couple who have each, over their twenty plus years of marriage, donated money and/or non-compensated time to the marriage. Other than Gigi taking time off to raise the children, both had worked for the majority of the marriage. Admittedly, Bob contributed the most monitarily, but it is also apparent, though disputed, that both parties contributed various amounts of nonpaid services such as child care and domestic work to the marriage as well. ¶ 14. In his opinion, the chancellor addressed each of the Ferguson factors in turn and found that based on the information before him, Bob was due a majority of the parties' assets. The decision of the chancellor to award Bob what amounts to fifty-five percent of the marital assets, leaving Gigi with the remaining forty-five percent is not unreasonable, [1] and as such, we uphold that decision.