A California divorce involves the resolution of both personal and financial issues. Spouses have to discuss the division of their property and the need for financial support. If they have any children together, then they may also need to make arrangements to share parenting time with each other.
Property division can be a nerve-racking aspect of divorce because people worry about their financial future after the end of a marriage. In California, community property rules generally require that spouses share the income that they earned during the marriage and any property acquired with that income when they divorce. There is also shared responsibility for any unpaid marital debts.
However, spouses generally do not need to divide their separate property. What can people protect as their separate assets in a California divorce?
There are two main types of separate property
California has very clear rules about community property and separate property. The timing of asset or income acquisition is a main consideration. The origins of certain resources are also important. The marital estate consists of most income, assets and debts acquired during the marriage.
Unless spouses have entered into a prenuptial agreement declaring otherwise, they typically share everything that they earn or purchase during the marriage. Regardless of the name on ownership documents, both spouses have an interest in marital assets and income. Other assets may belong to just one spouse.
Any assets that one spouse owned before getting married or acquired after legally separating from their spouse could be separate property. The origins of certain assets can also affect what happens with them during divorce. Gifts received during the marriage and inheritances passed to one spouse are often separate property.
However, people can make mistakes with those assets, such as commingling them with marital property, which might put them at risk of division in a divorce. Maintaining separate financial accounts and clear ownership records can be important for the protection of separate property. Spouses can also protect certain resources by carefully going over financial records and ownership documentation as they prepare for divorce proceedings.
Protecting certain resources as separate property can be an important aspect of the property division process. Learning more about California’s property division rules may benefit those trying to establish a foundation for a stable financial future during the early stages of a divorce.