ChapterⅠ.THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM OF THE CODE NAPOLEON IN BELGIUM AND HOLLAND&by Professor G.Baeteman 1
Ⅰ.General Consequences of Marriage 1
A.The legal status of the spouses 1
B.Outline of the provisions concerning the respective rights and duties of husband and wife 2
Ⅱ.The Matrimonial Property Systems 2
A.General Principles 2
B.The Common-Law Matrimonial Property System (Community of Movables and Acquests) 3
The ownership of the Assets 3
C.Powers of Management of the Assets 5
D.Legal Nature of the Community 6
E.Liability for Debts 8
F.Relations between the funds 13
G.Liquidation of the community 14
Chapter Ⅱ.THE MODERN BELGIAN LAW&by Professor G.Baeteman 18
Ⅰ.The Civil Code of 1804 andlater laws, excepting the Law of 20 July 1932 18
Ⅱ.The Law of 20 July 1932 20
Ⅲ.The Matrimonial Property Systems and Case Law 22
Ⅳ.The Law of 30 April 1958 and its consequences 24
Ⅴ.The Matrimonial Property Systems 26
A.The present system 26
B.The Reform of the Matrimonial Property Systems 28
1.The system of matrimonial property 28
2.The system of regulated community 29
3.The system of after-acquired property 30
4.The universal community system 32
5.The system of equalisation of gains 33
C.The plan for a modernised community in after-acquired property: Wigny plan 33
1.Origins 37
2.General outline 38
3.The proposed primary system 39
4.Examinationof the system 43
(a) The assets 43
(b) Management 47
(c) Debts 52
(d) Liquidation of the community 55
Chapter Ⅲ.LE DROIT DES PAYS BAS par Professeur G.Baeteman 62
Introduction 62
Le Code civil de 1838 63
A.Les conséquences générales du mariage 63
B.Les régimes matrimoniaux 65
Les lois subséquentes jusqu 'àla loi de 1956 68
La loi du 14 juin 1956 (Van Oven) 68
A.Les conséquences générales du mariage 69
B.Les régimes matrimoniaux 72
1.Les principes généraux 72
2.Le régime matrimonial légal 73
3.Les régimes conventionnels 75
4.Conclusions 76
Chapter Ⅳ.THE MODERN FRENCH LAW by Professor A.Colomer 80
Introduction 80
Ⅰ.The general principles of all matrimonial property systems 83
1.Occupational independence of the wife 84
2.The expenses of married life 86
3.Management of money and movables in the separate possession of each spouse 88
Ⅱ.The statutory property system 90
1.Independent management of separate property 90
2.Interdependent management of common property 93
A.Ordinary common property 93
B.Reserved property 100
Ⅲ.Freedom to conclude marriage agreements 104
1.Consensual modification of the statutory system 105
2.The adoption of the system of separation of property 109
Chapter Ⅴ.GERMAN LAW by Professor E.D.Graue 114
Ⅰ.Historical evolution 114
Ⅱ.The Reform of 1957-8 122
A.The community of Gains 122
1.The effect during marriage 122
2.The effect in case of divorce and annulment and anticipatory compensation of gains 125
3.Conflict of laws 132
4.Effect in case of termination by death 133
(1) Intestate (legal) succession 133
(2) Exclusion or modification of intestate succession 137
B.Marital settlements 144
1.General rules 144
2.Separation of property 146
3.Universal community 147
C.Liability for debts 154
Ⅲ.Matrimonial Property Law in the German Democratic Republic under the Reform of 1965-6 158
1.Matrimonial property relations during the marriage 158
2.Liquidation of the relations 160
Ⅳ.Comparative appraisal of German Matrimonial Property Law 163
Chapter Ⅵ.ENGLISHLAW by Professor A.Kiralfy 180
Ⅰ.Prefatory Note 180
Ⅱ.Historical Introduction 182
Ⅲ.Statutory régimes 185
A.Housekeeping Allowances 186
B.The Rent Acts 187
Ⅳ.The Deserted Wife's rights in the Matrimonial Home 188
Ⅴ.Express Contractual R égimes 191
A.Trusts and settlements 191
B.Trusts for sale 192
C.Misuse of settlements 193
Ⅵ.Legal intervention to alter the contractualrégimes 194
Ⅶ.Determination of disputed titles between spouses 198
A.Express provision when property acquired 198
B.Implied provision for title 199
C.The presumption of gift 206
D.Joint accounts 206
Ⅷ.Secured maintenance 207
Ⅸ.The law of Wills 207
A.The character of "wife" 207
B.Revocation by marriage 208
C.Wife as attesting witness 209
Ⅹ.The Intestacy law (legal succession) 209
Ⅺ.Claims for provision out of the estate of a husband or wife 211
A.By a surviving spouse 211
B.By a former soouse 215
Chapter Ⅶ.LE DROIT ITALIEN par Professeur S.Rodotá 223
Evolution du système 223
Les nouveaux principes constitutionnels 227
Le régime matrimonial légal 230
Le régime matrimonial de base 233
Les régimes conventionnels 239
(a) problèmes généraux 239
(b) le régime dotal 242
(c) le patrimoine familial 245
(d) la communauté des biens 246
Les projets de réforme 248
Indexes to Chapters 256