Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Tucker v. Tucker Case Brief

Missouri Court of Appeals1991Docket #60582446
806 S.W.2d 758 1991 Mo. App. LEXIS 504 1991 WL 47579

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: Wife appealed a dissolution decree awarding husband nearly all marital property due to her alleged misconduct. The appellate court modified the award, finding misconduct alone insufficient to justify such an unequal division.

Legal Significance: Marital misconduct, while a factor in property division, does not justify a grossly disproportionate award unless it imposed extraordinary burdens on the other spouse, altering the presumed equal contribution to the marital partnership.

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

The parties married in June 1981 and separated in July 1988, with one child born of the marriage. In the months leading up to the separation, the wife (Donna Tucker) spent considerable time assisting her terminally ill sister-in-law, Sharon. After Sharon’s death, the wife went to Texas to assist another family member of the husband (James Tucker). Sharon’s widower, Dennis Babor, was also in Texas during this period, and he and the wife returned to Missouri together. The husband, having received reports of an involvement between his wife and Babor, confronted her. He testified she indicated a preference for Babor. The husband filed for dissolution the next day. Witnesses testified to observing the wife and Babor hugging and kissing passionately before the separation. The wife denied a pre-separation sexual relationship. The trial court found the wife guilty of unspecified marital misconduct that “directly contributed to the dissolution.” Marital assets were limited, primarily $12,000 equity in the home and a $4,000-$5,000 interest in the husband’s pension (not definitively established as divisible). The trial court awarded the husband virtually all marital property, including the home, pension, vehicles, and most furnishings. The husband himself had testified suggesting he was willing to pay the wife half the home equity over time.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does marital misconduct, which contributes to the dissolution of a marriage but does not demonstrably impose marital burdens beyond the norm on the other spouse, justify an award of virtually all marital property to the non-offending spouse?

No. The trial court erred in its division of marital property. The Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehend

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Legal Issue

Does marital misconduct, which contributes to the dissolution of a marriage but does not demonstrably impose marital burdens beyond the norm on the other spouse, justify an award of virtually all marital property to the non-offending spouse?

Conclusion

This case clarifies that under Missouri law, marital misconduct, while a statutory Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo co

Legal Rule

The division of marital property must be just, though not necessarily equal. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat no

Legal Analysis

The appellate court, referencing *Burtscher v. Burtscher*, emphasized that the statutory factor Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Exce

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Flash Summary

  • Marital misconduct, even if it causes the dissolution, does not justify
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse c

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