Married Womens Status Act 1957’

Number 5 of 1957.

MARRIED WOMEN’S STATUS ACT 1957

REVISED

Updated to 1 February 2019

This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Married Women’s Status Act 1957. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.

All Acts up to and including Local Government Act 2019 (1/2019), enacted 25 January 2019, and all statutory instruments up to and including Brown Crab (Conservation Of Stocks) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 26 of 2019), made 1 February 2019, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.

Number 5 of 1957.

MARRIED WOMEN’S STATUS ACT 1957.

REVISED

Updated to 1 February 2019

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section
1.	Application of Act.
2.	Capacity of married women.
3.	Property of married women.
4.	Joint capacity of [spouses of each other].
5.	Property rights of husband and wife.
6.	Abolition of restraint upon anticipation.
7.	Insurance for benefit of spouse or children.
8.	Contracts for benefit of spouse or children.
9.	Criminal proceedings for protection of property of married persons.
10.	Wife’s antenuptial debts and liabilities.
11.	Abolition of husband’s liability for wife’s torts, contracts, debts and obligations.
12.	Determination of questions between husband and wife as to property.
13.	Saving for settlements.
14.	Breaches of trust by married women.
15.	Will of married woman.
16.	Power of attorney of married woman.
17.	Savings as to pending proceedings and enforcement of certain judgments.
18.	Gifts in fraud of creditors.
19.	Consequential repeals.
20.	Short title and commencement.

SCHEDULE

Enactments Repealed

Acts Referred to
Adoption Act, 1952	No. 25 of 1952
Companies Consolidation Act, 1908	8 Edw. 7 c. 69
Conveyancing Act, 1881	44 & 45 Vic. c. 41
Conveyancing Act, 1882	45 & 46 Vic. c. 39
Conveyancing Act, 1911	1 & 2 Geo 5 c. 37
Conveyancing Acts, 1881 to 1911
County Offices and Courts (Ireland) Act, 1877	40 & 41 Vic. c. 56
Excise Management Act, 1841	4 & 5 Vic. c. 20
Fines and Recoveries Act, 1834	4 & 5 Will. 4 c. 92
Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act, 1927	No. 16 of 1927
Infants’ Property Act, 1830 (extended to Ireland by the Infants’ Property (Ireland) Act, 1835	11 Geo. 4 and 1 Will. 4 c. 65
Land Law ( Ireland) Act, 1881	44 & 45 Vic. c. 49
Landlord and Tenant ( Ireland) Act, 1870	33 & 34 Vic. c. 46
Larceny Act, 1916	6 & 7 Geo 5 c. 50
Leases for Schools (Ireland) Act, 1881	44 & 45 Vic. c. 65
Leasing Powers Act for Religious Worship in Ireland Act, 1855	18 & 19 Vic. c. 39
Married Women’s Property Act, 1882	45 & 46 Vic. c. 75
Married Women’s Property Act, 1884	47 & 48 Vic. c. 14
Married Women’s Property Act, 1893	56 & 57 Vic. c. 63
Married Women’s Property Act, 1907	7 Edw. 7 c. 18
Married Women’s Property (Ireland) Act, 1865	28 & 29 Vic. c. 43
Married Women’s Reversionary Interests Act, 1857	20 & 21 Vic. c. 57
Real Property Act, 1845	8 & 9 Vic. c. 106
Registration of Title Act, 1891	54 & 55 Vic. c. 66
Settled Estates Act, 1877	40 & 41 Vic. c. 18
Settled Land Act, 1882	45 & 45 Vic. c. 38
Settled Land Acts, 1882 to 1890
Summary Jurisdiction (Ireland) Act, 1908	8 Edw. 7 c. 24
Trustee Act, 1893	56 & 57 Vic. c. 53
Wills Act, 1837	1 Vic. c. 26

Number 5 of 1957.

MARRIED WOMEN’S STATUS ACT 1957.

REVISED

Updated to 1 February 2019

AN ACT TO CONSOLIDATE WITH AMENDMENTS THE LAW RELATING TO THE STATUS OF MARRIED WOMEN AND THE LIABILITIES OF HUSBANDS. [30th April, 1957.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

Annotations

Editorial Notes:

Discretion to grant legal aid in respect of proceedings instituted under Act provided (11.10.1996) by Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 (32/1995), s. 28(9)(c)(i), effectively commenced for this purpose on the establishment day by S.I. No. 272 of 1996.

Circuit Court to be known as the Circuit Family Court when exercising its jurisdiction to hear and determine family law proceedings as provided (19.10.1989) by Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989 (6/1989), ss. 30 and 31, commenced as per s. 46(2).

Circuit Family Court authorised to hear and determine proceedings instituted under Act at different places, times or days (19.10.1989) by Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989 (6/1989), ss. 30 and 32, commenced as per s. 46(2).

Conduct of family proceedings in Circuit Family Court and High Court required to be informal (19.10.1989) by Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989 (6/1989), ss. 30 and 33, commenced as per s. 46(2).

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Married Womens Status Act 1957’