1. Civil action against spouse. A wife may bring a civil action against her husband for the recovery, conveyance, transfer, payment or delivery to her of any property, real or personal or both, exceeding $100 in value, standing in his name, or to which he has legal title, or that is in his possession or under his control, that in equity and good conscience belongs to her and that he neglects or refuses to convey, transfer, pay over or deliver to her, and upon proper proof may maintain this action. A husband has the same right to bring and maintain a civil action against his wife for the same purposes, subject to the same limitations.

2. Marriage not a bar; costs. Marriage is not a bar to the maintenance of a civil action by a wife against her husband or by a husband against his wife brought for the purposes in subsection 1. Costs may not be awarded against either party in these proceedings.

3. Defrauding creditors; dismissal of action. If it satisfactorily appears to the court on hearing that the party bringing the action has conveyed or transferred any of that party’s property, real or personal, to the other party to the action for the purpose of cheating, defrauding, hindering or delaying that party’s creditors, the action must be dismissed.

4. Appeal. An appeal from any final judgment under this section may be taken to the law court as in other civil actions.

5. No survival of rights. There is no survival of the right to institute proceedings under this section, and if a wife or husband dies after the commencement of proceedings under this section and before the final determination and disposition of the proceedings, these proceedings must abate.