The researchers will look at the benefits and pitfalls of the 'Community of Property' regimes used in some European countries. Here, marriage or registering a partnership generates a "community" of certain assets belonging to a couple. The community is treated as if owned jointly during marriage/partnership and is split equally on divorce, although this may vary according to the interests of any children involved.

Addendum

I've come across the original term and wondered whether this isn't one of those EU translations... In the above article, it's in inverted commas indicating that it's not a common term.

Dieser Änderung kann ich nicht zustimmen. Der gesetzliche Güterstand ist der "Default"-Güterstand, der gilt, wenn die Eheleute keinen anderen Güterstand per Ehevertrag festlegen. In Deutschland ist das die Zugewinngemeinschaft, in anderen Ländern ein anderer, vielleicht gibt es auch in manchen Ländern keinen.

Die Korrektur ist also eher ein "Neuer Eintrag".

ok aber der engl. Begriff ist, auch in Fachkreisen, recht unverständlich. Was hilft also der Eintrag, wenn ihn keiner versteht?

Allermindestens müsste ein Hinweis auf Deutschland dazu.

The actual entry in Leo now is:

statutory matrimonial property regime [law] -- gesetzlicher Güterstand

I agree that the various terms in Leo could be tidied up.

It is not clear that "statutory" is the default one, obviously all of the main vanants are "statutory"

in the sense of "as defined in the law", gesetzlich.

You could say "ordinary" and "extraordinary" marital property regime.

The term "regime" is used in English sometimes, in this context, at least when referring to the "European" variants,

and is easy to understand.

Of course you can also just say "law":

marital property law -- eheliches Güterrecht

One needs to clearly distinguish between the specific legal terms in each country.

You can add the German word in brackets.

Gütertrennung -- Separation of property

Gütergemeinschaft -- Community of property

Zugewinngemeinschaft -- Community of accrued gains (Germany, BGB)

Errungenschaftsbeteiligung -- Participation in acquired property (Switzerland, ZGB))

...

If you wish to keep separate, your property from your spouse's property safeguards should be put into place to make sure that each retains ownership of their individual property. For example, if you own a home and marry, the only way to keep that home from becoming marital property is to make sure your spouse makes no financial investment in the home. 

Property acquired by gift, legacy or descent.

Property acquired in exchange for property acquired before the marriage or in exchange for property acquired by gift, legacy or descent.

Property acquired by a spouse after a Judgment of Legal Separation.

Property excluded by valid agreement of the parties.

Any judgment or property obtained by judgment awarded to a spouse from the other spouse.

Property acquired before the marriage.

When marital and non-marital property has been combined the process of determining marital property can be quite complicated. For example, what happens when one spouse uses non-marital property such as an inheritance to buy a house with the other spouse? What happens when one spouse inherits money and that money is put in a joint bank account?

The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (which is under review) provides for equitable sharing of property, pensions etc but is a) subject to precedents and b) leaves most of the decision up to the judge concerned.

24 Property adjustment orders in connection with divorce proceedings, etc.

(1)On granting a decree of divorce, a decree of nullity of marriage or a decree of judicial separation or at any time thereafter (whether, in the case of a decree of divorce or of nullity of marriage, before or after the decree is made absolute), the court may make any one or more of the following orders, that is to say—

(a)an order that a party to the marriage shall transfer to the other party, to any child of the family or to such person as may be specified in the order for the benefit of such a child such property as may be so specified, being property to which the first-mentioned party is entitled, either in possession or reversion;

(b)an order that a settlement of such property as may be so specified, being property to which a party to the marriage is so entitled, be made to the satisfaction of the court for the benefit of the other party to the marriage and of the children of the family or either or any of them;

(c)an order varying for the benefit of the parties to the marriage and of the children of the family or either or any of them any ante-nuptial or post-nuptial settlement (including such a settlement made by will or codicil) made on the parties to the marriage [F35,other than one in the form of a pension arrangement (within the meaning of section 25D below)];

(d)an order extinguishing or reducing the interest of either of the parties to the marriage under any such settlement [F35, other than one in the form of a pension arrangement (within the meaning of section 25D below)];

subject, however, in the case of an order under paragraph (a) above, to the restrictions imposed by section 29(1) and (3) below on the making of orders for a transfer of property in favour of children who have attained the age of eighteen.

(2)The court may make an order under subsection (1)(c) above notwithstanding that there are no children of the family.

(3)Without prejudice to the power to give a direction under section 30 below for the settlement of an instrument by conveyancing counsel, where an order is made under this section on or after granting a decree of divorce or nullity of marriage, neither the order nor any settlement made in pursuance of the order shall take effect unless the decree has been made absolute.

Annotations: Help about Annotation

Amendments (Textual)

F35Words in s. 24(1)(c)(d) inserted (11.11.1999 for certain purposes and otherwise 1.12.2000) by 1999 c. 30, s. 19, Sch. 3 para. 3; S.I. 2000/1116, art. 2

[F3624A Orders for sale of property

(1)Where the court makes under section 23 or 24 of this Act a secured periodical payments order, an order for the payment of a lump sum or a property adjustment order, then, on making that order or at any time thereafter, the court may make a further order for the sale of such property as may be specified in the order, being property in which or in the proceeds of sale of which either or both of the parties to the marriage has or have a beneficial interest, either in possession or reversion.

(2)Any order made under subsection (1) above may contain such consequential or supplementary provisions as the court thinks fit and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, may include—

(a)provision requiring the making of a payment out of the proceeds of sale of the property to which the order relates, and

(b)provision requiring any such property to be offered for sale to a person, or class of persons, specified in the order.

(3)Where an order is made under subsection (1) above on or after the grant of a decree of divorce or nullity of marriage, the order shall not take effect unless the decree has been made absolute.

(4)Where an order is made under subsection (1) above, the court may direct that the order, or such provision thereof as the court may specify, shall not take effect until the occurrence of an event specified by the court or the expiration of a period so specified.

(5)Where an order under subsection (1) above contains a provision requiring the proceeds of sale of the property to which the order relates to be used to secure periodical payments to a party to the marriage, the order shall cease to have effect on the death or re-marriage of [F37, or formation of a civil partnership by,]F37 that person.

[F38(6)Where a party to a marriage has a beneficial interest in any property, or in the proceeds of sale thereof, and some other person who is not a party to the marriage also has a beneficial interest in that property or in the proceeds of sale thereof, then, before deciding whether to make an order under this section in relation to that property, it shall be the duty of the court to give that other person an opportunity to make representations with respect to the order; and any representations made by that other person shall be included among the circumstances to which the court is required to have regard under section 25(1) below.]]

Annotations: Help about Annotation

Amendments (Textual)

F36S. 24A inserted by Matrimonial Homes and Property Act 1981 (c. 24, SIF 49:5), s. 7

F37Words in s. 24A(5) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), ss. 261(1), 263, Sch. 27 para. 42; S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(2) (subject to art. 2(3)-(5))

F38S. 24A(6) added by Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c. 42, SIF 49:3), ss. 46(1), 48(3), Sch. 1 para. 11

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5S. 24A(2)(4)(5)(6) extended by Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c. 42, SIF 49:3), ss. 21(b), 48(2)

thanks jmstuart, that's helpful.

However, and I'm sorry about that, I still have a problem with "community of property". It's not something that seems to be used in BE.

Instead, the somewhat different term "matrimonial property" (BE) and "marital property (AE) are used. I think Anglo-Saxon law looks at the whole matter from a different viewpoint.

#4: Ein Hinweis auf D hilft hier nicht weiter, weil es in vielen Ländern einen gesetzlichen Güterstand gibt, z.B. in Frankreich (Errungenschaftgemeinschaft), Polen (Gütergemeinschaft) oder Österreich (Gütertrennung). Wie ich inzwischen gelesen habe, gibt es auch in den USA in einigen Bundesstaaten einen gesetzlichen Güterstand - in UK jedoch nicht. Daher vermutlich die Problematik der Übersetzung.

#5: Vielleicht wäre "default matrimonial property regime" eindeutiger (ich werde es in Zukunft verwenden). Man kann jedoch nicht einfach "... law" sagen, weil "... regime" die verschiedenen Güterstände bezeichnet (separation of ..., community of ... etc.), "... law" das gesamte Güterrecht.

Edith hat #6 nicht gesehen.