No Texas couple is safe from a potential divorce, regardless of how the marriage starts or where the couple lives. The life that is built by two people becomes entangled in every aspect and going through the process of property division can be overwhelming. The house, cars, furniture, jewelry and other items are obvious for cataloging and dividing, but what about some of the not so obvious items, like airline miles and hotel points?
For couples who once traveled together, whether for work or pleasure, or one spouse who traveled for work alone, accumulating airline miles and hotel points goes with the territory. When a relationship ends, those who live in Texas will find that regardless of who earned the points or miles during the marriage, they are community property and will more than likely be split equally between the spouses. Living in a community property state sometimes has its advantages and can have some disadvantages as well.
Depending on the program, transferring miles or points in a divorce can come with fees that may not seem like much, but when there are a lot of accumulated rewards, those fees can really add up. Some programs will let a person transfer to another or book flights or hotel rooms under another person’s name. This would allow the exes to decide who will use how many points and when without having to incur fees.
Regardless of how the points were earned or by whom, in a Texas court the rewards are seen as community property if they were amassed during a marriage. Property division laws would split those hard-earned points down the middle and dole them out to each spouse accordingly. In some instances, this may not be worth the trouble or could leave each spouse without much in the way of point redemption. An attorney can look at all assets and possibly find a way to come to a mutually acceptable agreement that works for both parties and satisfies the court.
Source: wisebread.com, “How to Divide Rewards and Keep Your Sanity in Divorce“, Holly Johnson, Jan. 25, 2018