Homemaker’s Contributions: Factor in Property Division

The Pennsylvania Divorce Code says that the court must consider the homemaker’s contribution. When representing a stay-at-home spouse, it may be helpful to prove that the spouse was an active homemaker whose efforts enabled the breadwinner to devote more time and attention to his or her career. A homemaker’s contributions might include: 

• meal planning and shopping
• cooking
• cleaning
• researching and selecting furniture, carpets, wall coverings, decorations, vehicles, appliances, clothing, service providers
• scheduling and supervising home repairs, service calls and maintenance (plumbers, appliance repairmen, tree service, etc.)
• child care (including feeding, bathing, dressing, making school lunches, administering discipline, attending school conferences, assisting with homework, arranging extracurricular activities, scheduling and keeping appointments with doctors, picking up children at school when ill, etc.)
• caring for elderly or disabled family members
• bill paying and budgeting
• entertaining clients and business associates
• vacation planning
• participating in community and charitable organizations

 When representing a working spouse, it may be helpful to prove that these tasks were not performed by the stay-at-home spouse or were shared.