In Louisiana, a married woman, even if separate in estate from her husband, cannot alienate, grant, mortgage, or acquire, by gratuitous or incumbered title, unless he concurs or gives his written consent, Revised Code, edition of 1870, Art. 122. Her separation from him divides property and dissolves the community of acquets and gains, making his authorization unnecessary, Art. 123. She may contract by leave of court, if the husband refuses, Art. 125. If twenty-one years of age, she may, by the husband's authority and leave of court, borrow or contract for her separate benefit, and to secure the same give security affecting her separate paraphernal or dotal estate. In so doing it must appear to the court that the money is to be borrowed or the debt contracted solely for her separate advantage, Arts. 126, 127, 123. If of the age of twenty-one years, a married woman may, with the husband's consent after examination apart from him, renounce in favor of a third person her matrimonial, paraphernal, dotal, and other rights, Art. 129. She may, if a public merchant, without the husband's authority, bind herself respecting her trade, and the husband also, if a community of property exists between them. She is a public merchant if she carries on a separate trade, but not if she simply retails the merchandise of her husband's commerce, Art. 131. If the husband is interdicted or absent, she may, by leave of court, sue and be sued, or contract, Art. 132. Every general authority, though stipulated in the marriage contract, is void, except respecting the administration of her property, Art. 133.

The wife may make her last will without his authority, Art. 135. The husband or wife may, either by marriage contract or during the marriage give to the other in full property, all that he or she might give to a stranger, Art. 1746. But all such donations during marriage, though termed inter vinos, are always revocable, Art. 1749. They may, by marriage contract, determine the rights of property; but cannot change the legal order of descents (this restriction not affecting donations inter vivos or such mortis causa, or donation by the marriage contract according to the rules for donations), nor derogate from the husband's rights over the person of his wife and children, or as head of the family, nor with respect to children, if he survive the wife, nor from the prohibitory dispensations of the Code, Arts. 2325-2327, 2336. The property of married persons is divided into "separate" and "common;" and the separate property of the wife into "dotal" and "extradotal," or "paraphernal." The "dotal" is that which the wife brings to the husband to assist him in bearing the expenses of the. marriage establishment, Arts. 2334, 2335, 2337. The wife has a legal mortgage on her husband's immovables (which he may release by giving a special mortgage to the satisfaction of a family meeting, etc, or in accordance with stipulations in the marriage contract): but it shall not be lawful to stipulate that no mortgage shall exist, Arts. 2378-2380; and a privilege on his immovables for the restitution of her dowry, etc, Arts. 2376-2380, 2390. A partnership, or community, of acquets or gains exists by operation of law in all cases. But the parties may modify or limit it, or agree that it shall not exist; in which case there are provisions, preserving to the wife the administration and enjoyment of her property and the power of alienating it as if paraphernal, with reference to the expenses of the marriage and liability of the husband, Arts. 2332, 2399, 2401, 2424. This community consists of the profits of all the effects of which the husband has the administration and enjoyment, either of right or in fact; of the produce of the reciprocal industry and labor of both husband and wife; and of the estates which they may acquire during marriage, either by donations made jointly to them both, or by purchase, or in any similar way, even though the purchase be in the name of one and not of both. Debts contracted during marriage enter into this partnership, and must be acquitted out of the common fund; but those contracted before marriage, out of individual effects, Arts. 2402, 2403. The husband is the head and master of the community; administers its effects, disposes of the revenue, and may alienate by an unincumbered title, without the wife's consent. He cannot convey inter vivos the immovables gratuitously, the community, nor any portion of the movables, except to establish the children; but he may the movables. If he disposes of the common estate by fraud to injure the wife, she may sue his heirs for one-half, Art. 2404. If decreed separate in property, she must contribute proportionately to the household expenses and the children's education, and must do both alone if he has nothing, Art. 2435. When separate by contract or judgment in person or property, she has the free administration of her estate, and may dispose of movables, but not immovables, without the husband's consent, or on refusal by leave of court, Art. 2436. She may, with the husband's consent, give her dotal effects to establish their children or her children by a former marriage, Arts. 2358, 2359. The husband has the administration of the dowry, and the income of it belongs to him, Arts. 2349, 2350.

In Maine, a married woman may own property acquired by descent, gift, or purchase, and may manage, sell, and convey it, and devise it by will, without the husband's joinder or assent; but real estate directly conveyed to her by her husband she cannot convey without such joinder, unless held as security or in payment of a bona fide debt from the husband. Her property paid for out of Ids property, or conveyed by him without consideration, is liable for his prior debts,

Acts of 1S89, c. 176. A wife married since March 22, 1844, loses no right by the Act of that date, nor does a husband acquire any right to her property thereby, nor are his prior rights affected by this Act. She may release to her husband the right, revocable in writing, to control the whole or any part of her property, and dispose of the income for the mutual benefit, Revised Statutes of 1883, § 2. She may receive her personal wages other than for her family, sue for in her own name, and hold against him or third persons, §3. A husband married since April 26, 1852, is not liable for her antenuptial debts, nor for those contracted after in her own name. Nor for her torts committed after April 26, 1883. She is liable in all such cases, may be sued therefor singly or jointly with him, and her property attached and levied on, as it unmarried; but she may not be arrested, § 4. She may sue and be sued alone, or jointly with the husband, touching her property and personal rights as if unmarried; and the husband may not settle such suits without her written consent, § 5. If she dies intestate, her property goes to her heirs, but by an antenuptial settlement they may arrange marriage rights and bar all rights not so secured, § 6. If he abandons her or is imprisoned, leaving her no maintenance, she may, by leave of court, make contracts, and receive for disposal her personal property from the holder and give a valid discharge. Her husband and herself are bound by such contracts, and she may, during such absence, sue and be sued, and execution be enforced on all her acts, as if unmarried. He may be made a party on his return, §§ 7, 8. If her real estate is taken for a public use, the compensation is to be so invested as to secure her equal benefit, § 9. If she enters or remains in the State without living with her husband, she may contract, dispose of her property, and sue and be sued as if unmarried. When he claims his marital rights, her contracts and suits are affected as if they were then first married, § 10. Her administrator may pay all reasonable expenses of her last sickness, § 11.