Opinion ID: 1172711
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Relevant Policies of Other Interested States and the Relative Interests of Those States in the Determination of the Particular Issue

Text: Of the factors listed in Subsection (2) of § 6, that which is of particular importance in the present context is the one which calls for implementation of the relevant policies of the state with the dominant interest in the determination of the particular issue. Restatement (Second) of Conflicts of Law § 258, cmt. b. If the purposes of a state's law would be furthered by its application to the facts, this is good reason for such an application to be made. Restatement (Second) Conflicts of Law § 6, cmt. e. The state with the dominant interest should have its law applied. Restatement (Second) Conflicts of Law § 6, cmt. f. Both Washington and Texas are community property states, and property acquired during marriage in both states is presumed to be community property. RCW 26.16.030; Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 5.02. Texas, to be sure, has important interests in this case. Rosalie is domiciled in Texas and was married to Elmer in Texas. As we observed previously, a marriage in Texas can be terminated only by death or divorce. Claveria, 615 S.W.2d at 167. Texas law also imposes a duty on each spouse to support the other. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 4.02. Texas law thereby furthers a policy of respecting the sanctity of the marriage relationship and ensuring the support of both spouses within that marriage. Under Texas law, as we have observed, Rosalie would be entitled to one-quarter of the lottery winnings. This result furthers the purpose of ensuring that Rosalie, as Elmer's spouse, receive a share of his property so long as she is legally married to him. Washington's policies differ from those of Texas. In Washington, application of the separate and apart statute protects a married person's assets as separate property when a community no longer exists. Because the statute applies only to marriages that are defunct, we have stated [i]t is the fact of community that gives rise to the community property statute; when there is no `community', there can be no community property. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 110 Wash.2d at 372, 754 P.2d 993 (citing Cross, Harry M., The Community Property Law in Washington (revised 1985), 61 Wash. L.Rev. 13, 33 (1986)). Washington law, unlike Texas law, thus expresses a policy that a marriage may sometimes be defunct even without an official divorce decree or death. Applying Washington law to this case could yield one of two results. If the separate and apart statute applies, the marriage is defunct, the property belongs to Elmer, and Rosalie would not be entitled to any of the lottery winnings. The policy of protecting assets as separate property when a community no longer exists would be furthered by this result. If the statute does not apply because the marriage is not defunct, Rosalie would then be entitled to her community property share of the winnings. Elmer could dispose of his share of the community property, however, to Barbara. Therefore, if her marriage is not defunct, Rosalie would be entitled to one-half of the lottery winnings. See RCW 26.16.030(1). Thus, the purposes of Washington's law regarding community property would be furthered by an application of its law to the facts of this case. In Washington, when spouses are living separately, there is a separate inquiry as to whether a community exists (whether the marriage is defunct) for the purposes of ownership of property. Applying Texas law would not allow this inquiry. Further, if the marriage of Rosalie and Elmer is not defunct, Washington law better supports the policy of protecting of a spouse's interest in community property than does Texas law. Under Washington law, if the marriage is not defunct, Rosalie is entitled to one-half of the winnings, whereas under Texas law, she is entitled to only a one-quarter share. Also, both states have laws expressing a policy of protecting a second, putative spouse. Caruso may be read for the proposition that it protects an innocent third party who enters into a marital relationship with someone already married. Caruso, 448 S.W.2d at 712, n. 1. If the Caruso court had no interest in protecting the putative spouse, the court could have, under Texas law, found the putative marriage void and awarded the first spouse one-half, as opposed to one-quarter, of the assets. See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.22. Similarly, Washington's separate and apart statute protects third parties who enter into relationships with an already married individual. In this case, the result of applying either of the two states' laws would protect Barbara. Disregarding her status as beneficiary for purposes of this analysis, under Texas law she is protected because she is awarded one-half the property. Under Washington law, she is also protected because she is awarded one-half of the property. These factors support the application of Washington law.