Family Law Commons^™

Early Washington Marital Property Statutes, Cyril Hill

Washington Law Review

Twenty years prior to statehood, the legislature of the Territory of Washington adopted the Community Property System. For nearly seventy years the courts have struggled with its provisions. Although the original act was copied largely from a statute adopted in California in 1850, such changes have been made, that the system in Washington may be regarded as unique. The adoption of the system in its present form was not accomplished by one stroke of the pen. Rather, it has had a checkered career. The original statute passed in 1869 was followed by a marital partnership property act approved November 29, …