Chose in action

An ancient legal term meaning the right to receive money or enforce a claim through a lawsuit. Chose is old French for “thing” and “in action” refers to the bringing of a lawsuit. In Van Loan, the Arizona Supreme Court found that a chose in action is a contractual right that is divisible community property. Specifically, in Van Loan, the Husband’s military pension was a contractual right accrued during the marriage through his employment; therefore, it belonged to the marital community.