KATE AFFRAM MENSAH vs. CHARLES AFFRAM MENSAH

The parties were first married under customary law in 1980 and later converted the union into an ordinance marriage in 1999. They had four children, of whom only Joel was a minor when the petition was filed in 2012. The wife, a trader, remained in the matrimonial home with the children, while the husband, an accountant, lived elsewhere after the relationship became acrimonious. Both parties agreed that the marriage had broken down beyond reconciliation and sought dissolution. The wife additionally sought declarations that the matrimonial home at Santa Maria, a block of seven shops at Santa Maria, and a block of four shops with a one-bedroom apartment at Sowutuom were jointly acquired properties, and also sought custody of the minor child. She testified that although the husband acquired the land and began construction of the matrimonial home, the house was uncompleted when they moved in and she contributed to its completion by purchasing materials, paying school fees, utility bills, and maintaining the home. This is drawn from the opening factual narrative of the judgment and the court’s summary of the petitioner’s evidence beginning with: “In her evidence the petitioner testified that when the parties got married...”