What about folks who are not legally married? What if both of them contribute to the wealth, but everything is in only one person's name? Is there any recourse for the non-titled party? The short answer is "yes," and one of the most important cases in 2011, Kerr v. Baranow, clarifies exactly the correct approach in such matters.

"Getting half" is not the way it works. Instead, a one-time payment is made in order to equalize the difference between the spouses' increases in their net worth from marriage to separation. That is very different from halving everything.

A cohabitation agreement deals with a couple's rights and obligations in the event of a breakdown of the relationship. Cohabitation agreements are a terrific way of avoiding expensive and nasty disputes after a relationship fails since all of the parties' rights are spelled out in a contract.

Amicable divorces remain that way until a husband begins a serious relationship with a new lady. One of the easiest ways to have your divorce come "off the rails" is to flaunt a new paramour before your wife is emotionally ready, which in some cases is never.