{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/marital-property-law","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/marital-property-law","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"marital-property-law","term":"Marital property law","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"These are state-specific laws that govern how assets and debts acquired during a marriage are owned and divided between spouses. You care because these laws impact what assets can be pledged as collateral and the necessity of spousal guarantees for your loan.","what_it_means":"Your lender will consider your state's marital property laws when evaluating your personal financial statement and potential collateral. In community property states, your spouse will almost certainly need to sign the personal guarantee even if they are not a principal in the business.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/marital-property-law","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"jointly-owned-asset","term":"Jointly-owned asset","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/jointly-owned-asset"},{"slug":"personal-guarantee","term":"Personal guarantee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-guarantee"},{"slug":"collateral","term":"Collateral","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/collateral"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"If the business property is owned by the seller's separate entity, can the SBA 7(a) loan include financing for both the business and the property?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/if-the-business-property-is-owned-by-the-seller-s-separate-entity-can-the-sba-7-a-loan-inc"},{"question":"What if the business property is owned personally by the seller?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-property-is-owned-personally-by-the-seller"},{"question":"Can an SBA 7(a) loan finance the purchase of intellectual property?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/can-an-sba-7-a-loan-finance-the-purchase-of-intellectual-property"},{"question":"What if my business has very little physical property to offer as collateral?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-if-my-business-has-very-little-physical-property-to-offer-as-collateral"},{"question":"Can an SBA 7(a) loan finance property improvements on leased land or buildings?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-an-sba-7-a-loan-finance-property-improvements-on-leased-land-or-buildings"},{"question":"What if the acquired business property has existing environmental concerns, like old fuel tanks?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-acquired-business-property-has-existing-environmental-concerns-like-old-fuel-t"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Marital property law","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/marital-property-law","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}