Watts v. Watts, 137 Wis. 2d 506, 405 N.W.2d 303 (1987)

A Wisconsin statute governed the division of property between spouses when they separated or divorced. This case involved a man and woman who lived together and had children, but never married. The woman performed housekeeping, child rearing, and substantial services for her partner’s business for which she received no pay. When their relationship ended, the woman sued her partner for her share of the couple’s property. Writing for a unanimous court, Abrahamson held that even though the Wisconsin divorce statute did not apply to this relationship, the woman could still pursue a claim for breach of an express or implied contract to share accumulated property or a claim for unjust enrichment against her partner.