In good times, owning a home with your spouse might be ideal. Shared property, however, property division in California can become complicated when divorce is on the table. When selecting whether one partner will keep the family properties, both spouses need to be aware of the implications that may result from their choice.
Property Division In California
Your property and debts will be split as part of the divorce process in the property division in California. Property refers to everything that has value and may be bought or sold by an individual. A few examples of this would be a house, a car, and some pieces of furniture. It consists of assets such as stocks, bank accounts, and pensions, among other things.
In property division in California, a judge must issue a legal order regarding these matters even if you divided things amicably when you divorced. As a result, you are not obligated to appear in court. A judge may approve an agreement you and your spouse draft. If you cannot decide, a judge may do so at a hearing or trial.
Two Categories Of Property Division
To convey your wishes to the judge, you must know some legal terms in property division in California and the property laws. Many court forms include language like separate and community property.
Knowing them is crucial since they will affect how a court divides your property. Typically, you retain your private property and divide any communal assets.
Community Property is what you both possess or owe during your marriage. What you made or borrowed during that period is known as quasi-community property if you and your spouse both migrated to California after living outside California for a period before marriage. We consider this property as if it were a community.
What you each own or owe separately from before you got married or after you got divorced, as well as any gifts or inheritance, is known as separate property. To determine separate property and community property, as part of the property division in California process, you must first determine when you married and split. The day of your wedding is usually simple to determine. Separation can be more difficult.
Community Property
Your separation date is the day one of you informed the other of your intention to end your marriage through words or deeds. Your or their conduct after that day was consistent with wishing to end your marriage. Some persons may have moved out on this day.
Others view this day as the day on which the couple mutually decided that their marriage was over and they should get a divorce. From that point on, generally speaking, neither your income nor that of your husband, nor any debts you took out, were considered community property.
In general, this is what either of you earned (or borrowed) after you married but before you divorced. You and your spouse constitute the “community.” As stated about the property division in California, you have equal property ownership. This includes the following conditions:
- Whatever you earned while married
- Anything you purchased using money earned while married
- Debt incurred while married
The property you did not earn, such as a gift or inheritance received by one of you while married, is not community property.
You might own more common property than you think. Many people don’t give retirement or pension plans any thought. If any of the funds in that plan were earned during your marriage, you are entitled to a portion of them.
Perhaps you owe the community more money than you know. Your spouse might be personally liable for debts that you are unaware of. These obligations usually belong to both of you.
Separate Property
Identifying the “separate property” in property division in California is straightforward. Anything you earned, possessed, or owed money for before marriage or following a divorce is generally considered separate property. Everything you spend money on or receive income from separately owned property.
Additionally, even if it was given or inherited when you were married, gifts or inheritances (to one of you). If you have separate property, as long as it was maintained independently, it is solely yours. You did not give your spouse the item if you kept it separate.
Student debt is commonly considered the separate property of the spouse who took out the loan to fund their school or training. That spouse will be liable for their student loan debt following your divorce.
In rare circumstances, the spouse who did not receive the education may be entitled to reimbursement for their proportion of the community funds used to pay down the other spouse’s student loan. See an attorney for the property division in California if you or your partner owe a lot in student loans.
Commingling In Property Division
Property division in California may be divided into separate and community portions. This is referred to as commingling. In simpler terms, this only means that separate and community properties were combined.
This frequently occurs with large purchases, retirement plans, and bank accounts. Consider some examples below.
A House Downpayment
One partner uses their money before marriage as a down payment on a house. The down payment for this new house is a separate piece of property. The married couple uses the money they earn to pay the mortgage.
This means that the payments are made with money from the joint property. The equity (value) of the house that comes from paying down the loan is community property. The equity in the house is now partly shared and partly owned by each person.
A Retirement Plan
One partner receives a retirement benefit from a job they held before marriage. The premarital contributions made to the plan are considered separate property. Community property includes any contributions made while you were married. The new contributions are separate property after they split.
How Property Division Happens
The judge would generally order the following in a property division in California after a divorce.
- Maintain your private property.
- Equally, distribute your community property.
- If you both believe it is fair, you and your spouse may agree to something different.
- But if you can’t agree, a judge will generally divide your property in that way.
When it comes to property division in California, seek legal counsel.
Divorce proceedings involving property and debts can be challenging, particularly if you own valuable assets or owe a lot of money.
You might want to see a lawyer first, before filing any documents or signing any property agreements. Just for assistance with the property and obligations portion of your case, you can hire a lawyer.
Reasons to consult a lawyer in property division in California include:
- You can’t agree with the property of the company you own.
- You owe a lot of money and could soon file for bankruptcy.
- You executed a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement.
- Your partner borrowed money or purchased without telling you.
- Either of you has a retirement plan.
Financial Disclosure
You must disclose financial information to your spouse, or domestic partner, to obtain a divorce or legal separation. Disclosure of financial information is vital in this state. That is what is meant by this. However, the financial records are not submitted to the court, so you can still keep such sensitive personal data private.
Simply discuss your financial disclosure with your partner. After that, submit a form to the court to inform the judge that you complied with the obligation. Working out an agreement is made more accessible by the sharing of financial information.
You will fill out paperwork at this phase of the divorce to demonstrate what you own, owe, earn, and spend. You offer your spouse copies of these forms and other financial records. Whether you’re getting a divorce or legal separation, you would want to follow these guidelines.
Following that, you’ll use this information to determine how to divide your assets and debts fairly and how many children and spousal support to pay. Working out an agreement is made simpler by being open-minded and sincere.
Important Reminders In Financial Disclosure
If you lie or withhold information in the property division in California, you risk losing property and foot the bill for the opposing party’s legal bills. You have a deadline for disclosing financial information. Making initial disclosures involves communicating this information to your spouse for the first time.
You have a deadline for completing initial disclosures, for an instance, if you’re the petitioner, 60 days following the petition’s filing. If you’re the respondent, 60 days following a response filing. You might have to re-disclose your information in your case. In the future, you’ll have to choose between sharing information once again (a final declaration of disclosure).
Both spouses sign a waiver of final disclosures stating that you don’t need to make another disclosure because you have informed each other. A Stipulation and Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure must be signed and submitted to waive final disclosures (form FL-144).
Different Ways To Make Decisions
Decision-making processes in property division in California varies.
These decisions can be made jointly by you and your spouse. You don’t necessarily need to sit down and negotiate with your spouse to reach an agreement.
Others use assistance from a third party in a property division in California, such as a mediator, to negotiate agreements over the phone or by email. As soon as you come to an understanding with your spouse, you should ensure that it is well documented.
You can make decisions without consulting your spouse if they choose not to participate. You can express your wishes to the court without your spouse’s input if your spouse failed to file a response and the two of you do not already have an agreement. In such a case, you would receive a default divorce. What you request will still need to be granted by the court.
You can ask the court to decide if you can’t reach an agreement.
Couples have the option to approach the court to make a decision when they are unable to resolve all or a portion of the concerns themselves. You’ll have a few more chances to try to agree if you do this. If you cannot agree, however, you will need to go to court, where a judge will decide your case’s legal difficulties.
Property Division Dilemma
It can be relatively simple to divide most of the property when a marriage ends. Distributing kitchen utensils, books, clothes, linen, and other personal items is very straightforward. However, dealing with significant investments like family house, enterprises, and retirement accounts create difficulties.
Selling the house immediately, sharing the earnings, and finding new homes would be a better financial choice. Setting a price, selecting a realtor, preparing the house for sale, and managing offers involve collaboration between the spouses. When couples are unwilling to cooperate, the court may establish broad guidelines for sale and grant one party primary control over the property sale.
Splitting Debts: Common Challenges
When a marriage ends, couples are frequently forced to deal with their property and debt. They must determine who receives what and who is responsible for specific bills. Learn about the property and debt division laws that apply when spouses divorce.
Dealing With Company Debts
An arrangement with your spouse is not required to be fulfilled by a company to whom you owe money. The business or person you owe the debt to, such as a credit card or loan company, does not have to uphold the arrangement if you and your spouse agree that just one of you will pay off a joint debt.
The company may go for payments from both of you if the individual who promised to pay the joint debt defaults on installments or skips them entirely. It can lower the credit scores of both of you in a Property Division in California.
Settling Debts
To force your ex-spouse to pay what they promised, you can take them to family court. This, however, is unlikely to improve your credit or halt calls from creditors. Consider alternatives to debt settlement.
It would be the best practice if you could settle your debt whenever you can. One way to pay off a loan is to liquidate your assets and use the proceeds to pay off debts. To pay off the debt from your marriage, take out a new line of credit. Give more property to the individual who is best able to pay the debt, but let them continue making payments.
It’s not always possible to pay off all of the debt. One of you may assume the entire debt if that person can repay it more effectively. However, this person will then be able to get more community property. Another option is to obtain a lower spousal support order. Although this may lessen your likelihood of defaulting on the loan, you may still both be responsible for it.
Who Can Help With Property Division?
The Judicial Court Of California suggests that having a lawyer for your property division in California can be helpful. You accumulate homes and other assets over time to achieve financial stability. However, in the event of death or divorce the division of assets and properties becomes mandatory.
Most individuals may believe that having legal counsel is essential following a criminal conviction, during a divorce, or in any scenario involving parental decision-making. There are other instances where a lawyer is essential, like when doing property division in California.
Why Do You Need A Property Division Lawyer?
In the distribution of assets following a person’s death or during a divorce, a lawyer could be beneficial. Attorneys are equipped with the knowledge needed to help settle a property division in California. Additionally, they are knowledgeable about any complicated problems concerning the marital property and can explain them to spouses or other parties involved.
In the property division in California, having a lawyer by your side makes the process much more straightforward than it would be without one. The services of a family law attorney becomes crucial for couples purchasing their first house or going through this process for the first time.
Moore Family Law Group
Moore Family Law Group in Newport Beach can provide professional advice regarding property division in California. Property division attorneys are keen on details that you should be aware of. They will need to learn about you, your family, your finances, and other significant details to comprehend how the property will be distributed.
Moore Family Law Group attorneys in Newport Beach can advise you on the choice that would be best for your financial stability because they stay current on property division in California news. A property division lawyer can give you peace of mind since you’ll know that a skilled family lawyer will handle most of your assets.
Most qualities that involve potential future events are malleable and should be periodically reviewed and modified. Having a lawyer in a property division in California is a good approach to managing your properties. Get their advice on the best provision for your family’s financial future. You can visit Moore Family Law Group for a free consultation about property division in California.