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When couples have built a life together, getting a divorce usually requires dividing up property that has been accumulated throughout the relationship. Splitting property during a divorce usually involves homes, stocks, retirement accounts, furniture, and collectibles, but the reality is sometimes much stranger. Couples frequently wage war against each other over small appliances, household décor, pets, and sentimental items.
Here’s a look at some of the strangest things couples fight over during a divorce:
- Kitchen appliances
If you think it would be easier to buy a new kitchen mixer, toaster, or air fryer, think again. Some people are attached to their small kitchen appliances and don’t want to give them up in a divorce. Small appliances like toasters don’t have much resale value, but couples frequently fight over these inexpensive items.
Experts say it’s not necessarily the item that holds value; hanging on to it is the result of a deep emotional grievance. In some cases, wanting the toaster is more about who ran the household than who wants to make toast.
Another reason divorcing couples fight over kitchen gadgets is to hang on to the perceived lifestyle shift those purchases represent. For example, mixers, espresso machines, and high-end blenders cost a lot of money. Purchasing these items often symbolizes an upgrade in status.
- Pet custody
Pet custody disputes are common, but they go beyond just dogs and cats. Exotic pets and reptiles have been part of divorce filings for decades. Even though they don’t offer the same level of affection as dogs and cats, people become attached to reptiles like bearded dragons, turtles, and snakes.
People also fight over fish, but it’s usually a matter of cost. Full aquariums can cost thousands of dollars depending on the setup and type of fish. Filtration systems, coral, and other equipment are expensive, and it’s not uncommon for people to genuinely bond with fish.
Although courts often consider these types of pets property, they do need to factor in specialized knowledge when deciding who gets ownership. It wouldn’t make sense to give a snake to someone who doesn’t know much about them when their ex-partner is highly knowledgeable.
- Frozen embryos
One of the most complex and controversial aspects of property division comes from frozen embryos. Sometimes separated couples no longer align with each other on wanting kids, and both people’s concerns need to be addressed. The court will look at the signed agreement from the fertility clinic first to see what should be done, but in some states the court will prioritize balancing the interests of both parties. In at least one case, the court awarded the eggs to the father stating that his interest in not having more kids prevails over the mother’s interest in having another child.
- Sentimental property
Having to divide sentimental property often causes intense emotions. Couples fight over just about everything imaginable, including Beanie Babies, Lego sets, comic books, antiques, family heirlooms, photos, personal letters, and more. Some couples even fight over their wedding rings. In most states rings are considered gifts, but in others they must be returned to the purchaser if the marriage doesn’t occur.
- The family pet’s social media account
Who doesn’t have at least one social media account for their pet? Digital assets like these are common in divorce filings, especially when the account has been monetized or is extremely popular. In these cases it might be considered a business asset subject to division like any other business asset.
- Lawn gnomes and simple décor
Couples fight over all kinds of décor, both indoor and outdoor, like furniture, holiday decorations, and paintings. For example, people get easily attached to their garden gnomes. Each gnome has its own little whimsical personality and it’s hard to let go of a gnome you’ve picked out with intention for your home.
Splitting furniture can also be a source of major disagreement. Items like couches and beds represent space and comfort, and it’s hard to let go of comfortable furniture you’ve been living with for years.
Objects often become proxies for emotional discontent
When a marriage fails, sometimes people try to hang on to things that have little to no value, just for the sake of maintaining some kind of control. People rarely fight over objects themselves. Toasters, turtles, aquariums, lawn gnomes, and miscellaneous items are often just stand-ins for the real issues people are trying to work through.
At the end of the day, when divorcing couples fight over strange things, they’re really fighting to hang onto a thread of a shared life that didn’t work out.