A woman contended that she is entitled to half of all her late husband's assets, including assets he inherited from his father, pursuant to the presumption of joint ownership which determines an equal division between spouses who maintained a shared lifestyle.
The Court held that the woman is entitled to half of the rights in the residence only. When there is no other intention implied by the marital lifestyle of spouses and their behavior in financial matters, a couple who has been living together for a long period of time are deemed to intend to share in all their assets equally, even when a certain property is registered in the name of only one of them. However, with regards to assets that were not created by the joint work of the spouses but belonged to one of them before the marriage, the presumption of joint ownership shall not automatically apply and one need consider the type of property, the sharing of its fruits and investment in it, etc. Here, beyond the woman's contribution to managing the household and raising the children, she did not contribute to the family's livelihood or saved money. Regarding the appartment, it is sufficient that the couple lived under one roof and managed a joint household. However, in relation to the rest of the assets, the woman had no part in investing or improving them. Therefore, the sharing intent applies only to the apartment.