It used to be considered a "win" for whichever spouse got to keep the house after a divorce. But we have previously written that the mortgage/foreclosure crisis of the past several years has changed peoples' attitudes in this respect.

Now, more divorcing couples in Buffalo and around the country are actually fighting over who has to take the home rather than who gets to keep it. Of course, even if the home is rapidly depreciating in monetary value, there are some divorcees who have put so much work and personality into their property that they desperately want to hold onto it.

As just one example, a British man was recently devastated to learn that he is losing his apartment, which he has spent years and a small fortune turning into a replica of the interior of a spaceship seen on the TV series "Star Trek."

The apartment is actually owned by his estranged wife. The two have been separated since 1994, and he began his renovation project a few years later in 1997. She recently decided she wanted to sell the property, which means that he will soon be losing his pride and joy.

In an interview with a British tabloid, the man said: "To say I'm gutted is an understatement. It is my life's work. I admit there were tears."

Sadly, the project would likely be prohibitively expensive to recreate somewhere else. The man estimates it would cost (the pounds equivalent of) more than $150,000 American.

There are financial consequences and risks involved in ending a marriage, whether it takes the form of a divorce or legal separation. That's why it is a good idea for individuals in this situation to speak with a qualified family law attorney who can work to protect and preserve their most valuable marital assets, whatever they may be.

Source: MSNBC, "Divorce forces man to beam out of 'Star Trek' home," Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Jan. 26, 2012