Married Women’s Property Act 1882
E878818
The Married Women’s Property Act 1882 was a landmark British law that for the first time allowed married women to own, control, and dispose of property in their own right, significantly advancing women’s legal and economic independence.
Statements (44)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
ⓘ
British statute ⓘ |
| amended | earlier common law rules on coverture ⓘ |
| appliedTo |
married women’s personal property
ⓘ
married women’s real property acquired after the Act ⓘ married women’s savings ⓘ married women’s wages ⓘ |
| cameIntoForce | 1883 ⓘ |
| citationStyle | 45 & 46 Vict. c. 75 ⓘ |
| country | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| effect |
allowed married women to control their own property
ⓘ
allowed married women to dispose of their property independently of their husbands ⓘ allowed married women to own property in their own right ⓘ enabled married women to enter contracts in their own name ⓘ enabled married women to sue and be sued in their own name ⓘ gave married women separate legal ownership of earnings ⓘ gave married women separate legal ownership of investments ⓘ gave married women separate legal ownership of real property acquired after marriage ⓘ increased married women’s economic independence ⓘ reduced the legal doctrine of coverture in relation to property ⓘ strengthened married women’s legal personhood ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
foundation for later reforms in women’s civil and political rights
ⓘ
major milestone in the legal emancipation of women in Britain ⓘ |
| inspired | similar married women’s property legislation in other common law jurisdictions ⓘ |
| jurisdiction | England and Wales ⓘ |
| languageOfDocument | English ⓘ |
| legalDoctrineAffected | coverture ⓘ |
| legalStatusBeforeAct | married woman’s property generally belonged to her husband under coverture ⓘ |
| longTitle | An Act to amend the Law relating to the Property of Married Women ⓘ |
| monarchAtEnactment | Queen Victoria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| parliament | Parliament of the United Kingdom NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| predecessor |
Married Women’s Property Act 1870
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Married Women’s Property Act 1874 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| region | Great Britain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
marital property
ⓘ
separate property of spouses ⓘ |
| royalAssent | 1882 ⓘ |
| shortTitle | Married Women’s Property Act 1882 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| subjectMatter |
family law
ⓘ
married women’s property rights ⓘ women’s rights ⓘ |
| typeOfReform |
gender equality reform
ⓘ
property law reform ⓘ |
| yearEnacted | 1882 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.