In California, property is shared communally by spouses or domestic
partners. In divorce proceedings California law requires that all
community assets be divided equally if they are community property. Many
marital assets are considered joint property, but not all assets are
considered shared assets. Who owns how much of an asset can be difficult
to determine. Some assets are not divisible at all. This summary hints
at some of the complex financial issues that a divorce may raise.
Community Property
In California, a couple's time, skill, and labor are shared equally.
The products of that time, labor, and skill belong jointly to each
spouse as well. Savings, real estate purchases, investments, royalties
and license fees, and motor vehicles are all considered community
property. This is generally true, but there are many exceptions.
The more complex the couple's finances, the more like issues of
community property and comingling are to arise. California law gives
judges broad discretion in how equal distribution of assets is
achieved.
Comingling
Assets inevitably get mixed up in many marriages. Homeownership
commonly raises the comingling problem. You purchase a home together and
build equity in the home. Does the home belong equally to each partner
or does it depend on how much money each partner contributed to the
mortgage payments. Joint savings accounts and investments raise the same
question.
Deciding who owns how much of a comingled property can be complex.
Tracing of legal documents may reveal who owns what share of the asset,
or not. Sometimes the relevant documents have been lost or never
existed. You should consult a California divorce attorney if you have
questions about assets that were comingled during the marriage.
Separate Property
The most common exceptions are gifts to one spouse. A rare piece of
art purchased to be displayed in the home would be community property,
but a piece of art given to the other spouse for a birthday may be
separate property. An inheritance left to one spouse, not the couple is
considered separate property.
Division of Property
As a community property state, California law requires that community
assets be divided equally. Comingling makes this more difficult to do
in practice. The distinction between a gift and piece of community
property may be disputed. Was that expensive painting a gift from one
spouse to the other, or was it a piece of joint property.
Many properties simply cannot be divided. A piece of raw land or a
vacation home are two examples of this. The house cannot be shared. The
land could, in theory, be divided into equal-sized plots. The vacation
home might have to be sold, unless the other spouse can receive other
assets of equal value. California law requires that the values balance
out, so each partner gets a 50% share of community property.
There are some exceptions to the rules about dividing community
property. Fraud is grounds for not sharing assets equally. A spouse who
withdraws funds and hides them after the parties have separated violates
the fiduciary duties owed by spouses towards each other and is subject
to sanctions. Lastly, a spouse who neglected his or her fiduciary
duties to the family is likely to find their share of a divorce
settlement reduced.
Wasting Assets
Dissipation of assets, a legal term for wasting joint financial assets, can be a form of misappropriation but is often discussed in legal writing on divorce. If one spouse suspects another of spending down their savings or investment income in advance of a divorce, that spouse can be punished by the court. Many activities can qualify as illegal wasting of assets:
- Gambling
- Giving expensive gifts to friends
- Giving money to a lover
- Running up massive credit card bills
- Buying stocks
If someone suspects their spouse of wasting assets while a divorce case
proceeds, they should call an attorney at once. The attorney may be able
to take steps to freeze the assets in question.
Dissipation is not an issue with separate property, such as $5,000
inheritance left to one spouse. However if one spouse files for divorce,
neither spouse may encumber, sell or spend separate or community assets
without the other spouse’s consent, except for the purchase of
necessaries of life.
Given the high divorce rate in the United States, anyone with
significant assets should consider speaking with an attorney before
getting married. Anyone contemplating divorce should definitely consult
an attorney if their financial situation is complicated by numerous
assets in different classes. Contact a California divorce attorney if
you have specific questions about your property.
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