It Can Be Helpful to Get a Receipt When Returning a Former Partner’s Property

It’s somewhat common for separating or divorcing couples to leave behind some of their possessions in their former marital home where their former partner still lives. After all, married couples collect a lot of possessions over the years and it can be difficult to put together a full inventory and get everything out of the house immediately.

There are often arrangements in which a spouse who stays in the marital home agrees to store some of the other spouse’s personal property temporarily, under an agreement that that spouse picks it up at a later date. However, if the relationship after the divorce remains contentious, there’s always the chance that the spouse picking up the items could claim some of the items were missing, even if you gave back everything you had.

What’s the best way to proceed in this situation?

Get a receipt for any returned items

First, if you stored items for your former partner out of the good will of your heart for an extended time after your divorce, it is unlikely a court will be overly sympathetic to the former spouse if he or she believes a few items have gone missing in that time. However, as an additional means of protecting yourself, it can be a good idea to create a receipt with an itemized list of all the property that your former partner can then sign in recognition that the property was returned.

In a similar manner, you can have a friend or family member present when your former partner comes by to pick up items so that he or she can act as a witness that you gave over all the items on the list.

Finally, be sure to take photos or videos of the items you are handing over. This serves as documentation and a sort of receipt in its own right and will provide extra evidence in the event you have to return to court due to a dispute over the “missing” items.

For more tips about interacting with your former partner after your divorce, contact an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.