Geldmeier v. Geldmeier
Court of Appeals of Missouri
669 S.W.2d 33 (Mo. Ct. App. 1984)
Gary and Sharon Geldmeier divorced after a marriage in which Gary earned roughly $36,000 annually (including substantial overtime) while Sharon, a homemaker with a master's degree in clinical psychology, had no income. The trial court awarded Sharon $17,400 in assets (including the marital home with two mortgages), awarded Gary $9,550 in assets that dropped to a net $2,050 after assigning him most of the marital debts, and gave Sharon custody, child support, and alimony. Gary appealed, arguing the trial court improperly gave Sharon disproportionately more assets than debts while assigning him disproportionately more debts than assets.
Whether the equitable distribution of marital property and debts upon dissolution of a marriage ensures that each spouse receives the same proportion of assets and debts.