Atskiro turto režimas vedybų sutartyje : ar galioja sutartis, kai akivaizdu, jog vieno iš sutuoktinių turtinė padėtis pagal sutartį bus geresnė?
LTLietuvoje vedybų sutartys yra dar pakankamai retas reiškinys. Pagal Lietuvos Respublikos civilinio kodekso (LR CK) 3.108 straipsnio 2 dalį, "sutuoktinio reikalavimu teismas vedybų sutartį gali pripažinti visiškai ar iš dalies negaliojančia, jeigu sutartis iš esmės pažeidžia sutuoktinių lygiateisiškumo principą ir vienam iš sutuoktinių yra labai nepalanki"1. Straipsnyje analizuojami kriterijai ir principai, kurie turėtų būti taikomi sprendžiant vedybų sutarties galiojimo klausimą remiantis minėta norma. Pirmoje straipsnio dalyje trumpai aptariama vedybų sutarčių instituto raida. Antroje straipsnio dalyje remiantis JAV patirtimi analizuojami specialieji vedybų sutarčių galiojimo pagrindai, atkreipiamas dėmesys, kad priešingai nei Lietuvoje, vertinant vedybų sutarties negaliojimą, JAV yra analizuojamos sąlygos bei aplinkybės ne tik sutarties sudarymo momentu, bet ir santuokos nutraukimo momentu. Tačiau nors LR CK normos, reglamentuojančios vedybų sutarčių galiojimą, nenumato galimybės pripažinti sutartį negaliojančia pasikeitus aplinkybėms, tačiau vykdyti sutartinius įsipareigojimus pasikeitus aplinkybėms yra įtvirtinta LR CK 6.204 straipsnyje, numatančiame galimybę nutraukti sutartį arba pakeisti jos sąlygas, jei vienai iš šalių sutartį įvykdyti tampa sudėtingiau. Šioje dalyje aptariamos vedybų sutarties šalių lygiateisiškumo pažeidimo, esminės šalių nelygybės bei pasikeitusių aplinkybių pasikeitimo problemos, akcentuojamas reikalavimas vedybų sutarties šalims pateikti visą informaciją apie savo turtinę padėtį. Trečioje straipsnio dalyje nagrinėjama teisingumo bei sąžiningumo ir sutarties laisvės principų kolizija. Remdamosi tyrimu autorės pateikia vedybų sutarčių galiojimo teisinio vertinimo testą. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Vedybų sutartis; Atskiro turto režimas; Sandorio pripažinimas negaliojančiu; Marital agreement; Legal regime of separate property; Unenforceable agreement.
ENUnder the Lithuanian legislation, current and future spouses are allowed to sign marital agreements by which their property rights and obligations are set. However, it underlines that in some cases the court may declare the whole agreement or some of its terms unenforceable. The legislator does not specify which particular terms may be declared unenforceable. Therefore, the implementation of the spouses’ right to choose the terms they want is put under doubt. As a result, it is very important to find out the circumstances and the criteria that should be evaluated before a marital agreement or some of its terms are declared unenforceable. Under the Lithuanian legislation, the validity of a marital agreement is considered only at the moment it is signed. However, it is not the case in other countries. For instance, many courts of the United States in deciding on the validity of a marital agreement take into account all the circumstances and conditions both at the time a marital agreement is signed and at the time of divorce. Some courts analyse if an agreement was executed voluntarily, without any pressure or fraud, and if both parties provided fair and reasonable disclosure of the property or financial obligations as well as what were their bargaining powers and expectations. Other courts attempt to establish the effect an agreement will have on the parties after the termination of their marriage. Currently, Lithuanian courts have no practice in declaring a marital agreement unenforceable. However, due to the particularities of marital agreements and the state’s aim to defend the public interest, the means to evaluate the validity of a marital agreement become unclear.Summarizing the analysis of the grounds of the validity of marital agreements, one can make the following conclusions: - The equality principle is not violated solely by the fact that the terms of a marital agreement are not equally favourable to both spouses. - Spouses who are of very different financial statuses and sign the marital agreement by their free will, acknowledge that the choice of the legal regime of separate property will not entitle them to the property of another spouse acquired during their marriage. - The courts of the United States emphasize the importance for the spouses to disclose their actual property and financial obligations before a marital agreement is signed as well as the influence of the changes in certain circumstances on the result of a marital agreement. The Lithuanian law does not establish such demands even though they are crucial in determining the validity of a marital agreement. - One of the most important principles in signing a marital agreement is the freedom of contract, by which the autonomy of spouses will to control their property rights and obligations is emphasized. - Freedom of contract is not absolute. It is limited by the safeguarding of public interest that aims to secure the spouses’ financial and personal non-financial rights and legal interests. - Relationship based on trust exists both among future and current spouses, therefore, they must act honestly and fairly. The principles of conscionability and fairness are closely related to such criteria as the requirement for both spouses to make a fair and reasonable disclosure of his or her financial status, the influence of changed circumstances, the gross financial disparity of the parties and the principle of equality. [From the publication]
