Opinion ID: 1196634
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: division of marital assets

Text: Andy disputes only the third aspect of the property division: the distribution of the marital assets. The superior court allocated one-third of the marital estate to Andy and two-thirds to Lynda. Andy argues that Lynda will receive 84% of the marital estate if the alimony is factored into the division. This argument mischaracterizes the nature of the superior court's decision. An alimony award is separate from a property division. Payments that do not divide property cannot be considered part of a property division. Rhodes v. Rhodes, 754 P.2d 1333, 1335 (Alaska 1988). Although an equal division of property is presumed to be the most equitable, the trial court has broad discretion to deviate from absolute equality. Wanberg, 664 P.2d at 574-75. In fashioning a property division, the relevant factors to consider are (A) the length of the marriage and station in life of the parties during the marriage; (B) the age and health of the parties; (C) the earning capacity of the parties, including their educational backgrounds, training, employment skills, work experience, length of absence from the job market, and custodial responsibilities for children during the marriage; (D) the financial condition of the parties ...; (E) the conduct of the parties ...; (F) the desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to live in it for a reasonable period of time, to the party who has primary physical custody of children; (G) the circumstances and necessities of each party.... AS 25.24.160(a)(4). The marriage was of moderate length. Lynda worked off and on throughout. The needs of the family often defined the extent of her career. Her income is less than half of Andy's. Andy argues that Lynda suffered no diminution in her earning capacity during the marriage. Diminution in earning capacity is not a statutory factor, however. Based on the statutory factors, the trial court's allocation of marital property was not clearly unjust and should not be disturbed.