To determine whether the dowry belongs to the personal property of the bride or the joint property of the couple, it depends on the dowry
Time of delivery occurrence
1. The dowry is given to the bride herself
If it is purchased before obtaining the marriage certificate and there is no agreement on the ownership of the property between the two parties, it belongs to one party's premarital property. However, in judicial practice, dowry is generally regarded as the premarital property of the bride. Although dowry is purchased after marriage registration and before the wedding ceremony, the couple does not actually live together and do not have common labor and income. Therefore, personal property belonging to one spouse.
2. The dowry is given to both men and women
If two people purchase the dowry after obtaining the marriage certificate and there is no agreement on the ownership of the dowry, according to Article 17 of the Marriage Law, the property acquired during the existence of the marital relationship, except for the statutory and agreed ownership by one party, belongs to the joint property of the couple.
The dowry is considered as a financial support from the bride's family to the new family, usually consisting of money and in kind items. The specific dowry should be determined according to local customs, and some are basic dowry items that are common throughout the country. The ownership of the dowry is legally determined based on the time of marriage registration. It is recommended that the man in the marriage relationship try not to worry about the dowry as much as possible, so that the wife can take care of it with more peace of mind.