Dawson-Austin v. Austin
Texas Supreme Court
968 S.W.2d 319 (1998)
- Written by Whitney Kamerzel , JD
Facts
William Austin (plaintiff) was the chief executive officer of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Starkey), a Minnesota corporation, where he met Cynthia Dawson (defendant). William and Cynthia were married and lived in Minnesota. William and Cynthia purchased a home in California. During the marriage, William and Cynthia worked to increase the value of Starkey. After William and Cynthia separated, William purchased a home in Texas to live in, and Cynthia lived in the California house. William opened Texas bank accounts and brought a certificate evidencing his stock in Starkey. The only time Cynthia visited Texas was nine years earlier for a conference. William sued Cynthia for a divorce in Texas. The trial court granted the divorce and held that under Texas law, the increase in value of William’s stock interest in Starkey was his separate property. The court of appeals affirmed. Cynthia appealed, arguing Minnesota law must be applied and not Texas law because she had no meaningful connection to Texas.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Hecht, J.)
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