Event Details

This Seminar will be hosted by the Economics Department

Hayley Fisher will present "“The EconomicConsequences of Extending Property Division Rights to Cohabitants” (joint with Abraham Chigavzira, Tim Robinson and Anna Zhu)

Abstract: This paper analyses the effect of the extension of marriage-equivalentproperty division laws to unmarried cohabiting couples in Australia. Using atriple- difference fixed effects approach we show that existing couples aremore likely to make relationship-specific investments after being exposed tolaws enabling the equitable redistribution of property in the event ofrelationship breakdown. In affected couples we find that men increase theiremployment and hours worked, women in- crease time spent on housework, havingchildren and becoming home owners are more likely. These results demonstratethe causal effect of property division laws on relationship-specificinvestments and inform ongoing international debate about the appropriate legaltreatment of unmarried couples.