California is a community property state, not an equitable distribution state. This means that any assets or property gained during the course of a marriage belong equally to both spouses and, therefore, the property must be equally divided between the two spouse by the court in a divorce.
Couples going through a divorce must decide how to divide their property and debts—or ask a court to do it for them. Under California’s community property laws, assets and debts spouses acquire during marriage belong equally to both of them, and they must divide them equally in a divorce. (Cal. Fam. Code § 2581) Some couples are able to agree on how to divide all their property and debts, like deciding who gets the house in a divorce. Couples who can’t manage this will end up going to court to ask for a decision from an arbitrator or a judge.
Whether you handle your own property division, or a court handles it for you, there are three crucial steps to the process:
- determine whether the property (or debt) is community or separate
- agree on a value for community property, and
- decide how to divide the property.
Differentiating Between Community Property and Separate Property
There is a strong presumption under California divorce law that the assets a couple accumulates during the marriage are community property, meaning owned equally by the spouses.
Property one spouse owned alone, before the marriage, or acquired by gift or inheritance during the marriage, is that spouse’s separate property in California. Separate property also generally includes items purchased with or exchanged for separate property, earnings on separate property, and any increase in the value of separate property, as long as the property owner can prove the claim with financial records or other documents. Separate property belongs to the spouse who owns it and is not generally divided in a divorce.
California law also provides that property spouses acquire before a divorce, but after the date of separation, is separate property. (Cal. Fam. Code § 2622.) The date of separation is not necessarily the date one spouse moves out of the marital home. Instead, it’s the date that one spouse decides to end the marriage, and it requires some act of physical separation combined with other actions clearly demonstrating that the spouse has decided to end the marriage.
The date of separation can become a big issue if, just before the divorce, one spouse either earned an unusual amount of money—got a large bonus at work or won the lottery, for example—or spent a significant amount of money. If the couple can’t agree on a date, a court will decide after considering all of the evidence.
A couple can agree either before or during marriage to change an asset that was originally separate property into community property, or vice versa. Such agreements must be in writing and must clearly state the intentions of the parties; simply changing the title of the property is not enough.
Divorcing spouses often wonder when does separate property become community property in California? Sometimes a spouse changes a separate asset into a community asset without meaning to by combining—or “commingling”—separate property with marital property. A premarital bank account belonging to one spouse can become marital property if the other spouse makes deposits to it; a house owned by one spouse alone can become marital property (either in whole or in part) if both spouses pay the mortgage and other expenses.
Many types of assets can be partially community and partially separate, including retirement accounts one spouse contributed to both before and after the marriage, or a business one spouse started before marriage and continued operating after marriage.
Distinguishing community property from separate property can become very complicated, especially if one spouse owns a business or other asset to which the other contributed labor or funds during the marriage. If you have a complex property situation, you may need to consult an attorney for advice. Spouses who can’t decide what belongs to whom will have to let a court decide whether the commingled property was a gift to the marriage or whether the original owner should be reimbursed in whole or in part.
WE WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU CALL
Divorce cases are very difficult and complex. You need an experienced Los Angeles Family Attorney to guide you through the legal process. Contact our law firm today at 562-439-9001 if you or someone you know needs the help of an experienced family law attorney. We will be here for you when you call. Schedule a free consultation!
We are very central to all of Long Beach, Seal Beach, Lakewood, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Newport Beach; and regularly serve all of Los Angeles.
This is intended as general advice and should not be interpreted as legal advice. Each situation is unique and requires specific analysis of relevant contracts, facts and legal obligations.
