Dominican Republic separation of assets protects individual property during divorce

Under the legal regime of separation of assets in the Dominican Republic, marriage implies the existence of independent patrimonies. Attorney Víctor Eddy Mateo explained that each spouse retains the ownership, administration, and disposal of assets that legally belong to them, including those owned prior to the marriage and those acquired personally afterward.

This legal framework is based on the Civil Code and Law number 2125 of September 27, 1949. Mateo noted that divorce does not automatically convert individual assets into common property, nor does it authorize an equal split of the entire estate.

Furthermore, assets such as jewelry, money, or real estate validly donated by one spouse to another cannot be unilaterally withdrawn due to a marital breakdown. Even instances of infidelity do not trigger the automatic loss of personal property or the immediate return of gifts made during the marriage. Any attempt to revoke a donation must be based on legal causes and subject to court control.