Date of Marriage

There are two important dates that enter the analysis in dissolution cases as the starting point–the date of marriage and the date of separation. These dates generally determine which property and debts are community property and community debts, and which are separate property and separate property debts. If spousal support is an issue, the length of time for spousal support might be ordered is usually tied into the length of the marriage.

The date of marriage is easy to ascertain, so long as a valid marriage took place. That is the starting point in the initial analysis. The next question is what is the date of separation?