Court Opinion

ID: 9662207
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:02:57.780253+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:37.788601
License: Public Domain

Donald L. Corbin, Justice, dissenting. I dissent from tipart ce, majority opinion that views all of Dan Gray’s pension as marital property, even that portion that is in lieu of social security benefits. It is irrelevant that the benefits are not actually labeled social security, as they are the equivalent of social security benefits. Thus, because social security benefits are exempted from the definition of marital property, equivalent benefits should likewise be exempted. There is no logical reason to treat such benefits differently. The majority opinion distinguishes these benefits by label, but not by substance. This distinction, or lack thereof, results in an inequitable division of property. In my dissent in Skelton v. Skelton, 339 Ark. 227, 5 S.W.3d 2 (1999), I urged this court to adopt the approach used by the courts in Ohio and Pennsylvania, which have held that because social security benefits are exempted from marital property, a spouse who receives a pension but no social security benefits may be entitled to have exempted from the marital property that portion of the spouse’s pension that might figuratively be considered in place of social security benefits. The rationale behind this approach is best stated in Cornbleth v. Cornbleth, 580 A.2d 369, 371-72 (Pa. Super. 1990) (emphasis added): One of our goals with regard to equitable distribution must be to treat different individuals with differing circumstances in a fashion so as to equate them to one another as nearly as possible, thus, eliminating a bias in favor of, or against, a class of individuals. To the extent individuals with Social Security benefits enjoy an exemption of that “asset” from equitable distribution we believe those individuals participating in the [civil service retirement programs] must, likewise, be so positioned. Consider for example an individual being divorced at approximately age fifty. Assuming a normal work history, that person will likely have accrued a substantial pension as well as a right to Social Security. When the pension is divided in equitable distribution there will. be a diminution of the expected retirement income. However, the presence of Social Security will help offset the diminution. In contrast, an individual who ivas a civil service participant for many years will, if the trial court’s approach is approved, be dealt a double blow of sorts. The pension will become part of the marital estate and, thus, divided, yet there will be no Social Security benefit waiting to cushion this financial pitfall. Here, by participating in the Civil Service Retirement System, Dan is being dealt a double blow. His pension is divided between he and Nancy, and while Nancy has social security to bolster her retirement funds, Dan is without this benefit. In my opinion, the majority is misguided in relying on the fact that Dan chose to participate in this particular retirement plan, instead of one that would have left his social security benefits intact. As the majority’s opinion notes, the plan that Dan chose provided more benefits. Thus, Dan’s choice benefitted both he and Nancy. By holding as it does today, this court is effectively forcing Dan to pay the price for having made a choice that benefitted both of them. This, in my opinion is patently unfair. In sum, lest my position on this matter be misunderstood, I believe that social security benefits and their pension equivalents should be off limits to divorcing spouses and should never be considered marital property. For this reason, I respectfully dissent.