What happens to a YT channel during a divorce?

Michael Cimicata

Michael Cimicata

YTtalk Mad
Hey everyone, literally just curious over here...I'm not getting a divorce! Assuming a YouTube channel is earning income on a monthly basis for someone and they get a divorce...is that yt channel considered a business and will the channel owner have to give part of the channel/profits to their spouse? It literally just crossed my mind and I was curious so I figured that I would ask it over here!

Thanks, in advance, for chiming in!
 
The channel gets awarded to the wife but gets to spend every other weekend with the husband, of course.

But seriously, I would assume it would be treated like any joint business venture between a divorcing husband and wife. It typically is treated as an asset like any other asset. If the channel/business was owned by the husband prior to the divorce (for example) then he might have a better claim to it as 'separate property'. If the channel/business was formed during the marriage of both parties play a material role in its operation then it would likely be considered 'community property'. I'm not 100% sure what happens in those cases, but it could include selling the channel and dividing the proceeds in accordance to a judge's decision. I don't know, I'm not an attorney.
 
Michael Cimicata said:
Hey everyone, literally just curious over here...I'm not getting a divorce! Assuming a YouTube channel is earning income on a monthly basis for someone and they get a divorce...is that yt channel considered a business and will the channel owner have to give part of the channel/profits to their spouse? It literally just crossed my mind and I was curious so I figured that I would ask it over here!

Thanks, in advance, for chiming in!
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I dont think so.
A man once sued a roomate for selling (some?) sword or item on a online game. But the judge ruled that no value can be placed on digital items. Can the same be said about a video?

The person who creates the video or any thing gets a copyright in their name the moment they make it. So if your making the videos I dont see how the court can divide a copyright?
 
I think what it boils down to is revenue, unless both husband and wife claim ownership and the content is joint among both. If say you solely own and operate a channel earning income, and suppose the wife tells the lawyer and judge this; I think the revenue (both existing and expected) are taken into account. This is an awesome question though, my opinion is a rev-share if the channel is making a significant amount of monies and the wife knows of this; she is entitled to "half" or earned/projected income (again, my thoughts). This is an excellent question though.
 
Onlinetechs said:
she is entitled to "half" or earned/projected income (again, my thoughts).
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From the research I've done, that would only be the case if the channel did not exist prior to their marriage (which would designate it as 'community property'). But I suppose anything is possible when lawyers get involved.
 
I know that when Onision got divorced (he had the channel before he got married), he had to pay alimony of the revenue.
 
TheSwedishTraveler said:
I know that when Onision got divorced (he had the channel before he got married), he had to pay alimony of the revenue.
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Yes, but that's still different than her laying claim to the channel itself. The channel itself could be valued at hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Alimony is typically a percentage of the bigger earner's earnings minus a percentage of the lower earner's earnings (it might be 40 and 30 or 30 and 20), whether he owns businesses or works a full time job. The law takes into account all income and then applies that formula.
 
I would've thought one of them would continue with the channel and the other would receive a settlement based on the value of the channel.
 
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