How to Divide the Holiday Decorations in a Divorce

 Posted on December 11, 2024 in Divorce

Your holiday decorations may or may not have much monetary value, but they probably have a lot of sentimental value, especially if you have children together. The kind of items you only bring out of storage around the holidays can be difficult to divide up during divorce, especially if you are getting divorced right around the time of a major holiday. If you are working towards an uncontested divorce, your Lisle, IL divorce attorney can help you work with your spouse to divide all your marital property, including your holiday items. Dividing the items you use for celebrating the holidays out of court is often preferable, as you can choose a much more personalized solution than the court might.

Consider Keeping Some Items With the Children 

If you plan on having your children for your family’s major holidays in alternating years, consider moving some items with the children. Having the same set of decorations up every year can be comforting to your children, especially while they are still getting used to the new arrangement. This will be more practical for spouses who live fairly close together and drive their children back and forth between households.

Each Spouse Keeps the Decorations That Were His or Hers

Sometimes, even if they are technically considered marital property, each spouse has decorations or other holiday items that "belonged" to him or her. One of you may have had a lawn inflatable that the other spouse was never fond of. In other cases, holiday goods are separate property. If one of you inherited the formal dining set you use on major holidays or owned something before you got married, that item may be non-marital property and would be awarded to the spouse it belonged to.

Consider Your New Living Arrangements

After establishing separate residences, consider the practicality of how your holiday items will fit in your space. If one of you has moved into a third-floor condo, that spouse may be unable to use yard decorations or too many outdoor lights and may not have much storage space to keep these items for the rest of the year.

One Spouse May Not Want Shared Holiday Items 

When getting divorced, many people are ready to get rid of anything that reminds them of their spouse. It is possible that your spouse might not want any of the holiday decorations you bought together. If neither of you wants to keep these items, consider reserving only what your children have become attached to and donating the rest.

Contact a Lisle, IL Marital Property Division Attorney

SpyratosDavis LLC understands the emotional impact dividing marital property can have on families. Our dedicated Cook County, IL divorce lawyers will do all we can to make dividing your marital property easier. Contact us at 630-810-8881 for a confidential consultation.