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California is a community-property state with one of the clearest rules in the country: community property is divided equally — 50/50 — between the spouses. Community property is generally what either spouse earned or acquired during the marriage; separate property is what you owned before marriage or received during it by gift or inheritance, and it stays with you. This organizer helps you sort each asset and debt and see the community total.
Because the baseline is a mandatory equal division of the net community estate, the hard part in California is usually characterization and tracing — deciding what is community versus separate, and untangling assets that mix the two, like a retirement account funded before and during marriage or a home with a separate down payment. The tool flags mixed items so you can gather records for your attorney. Community debts are generally divided along with the assets.
Yes. California requires an equal (50/50) division of the net community estate. Each spouse keeps their separate property, and community debts are generally divided too.
Generally, everything either spouse earned or acquired during the marriage — from wages to retirement contributions to property bought with marital funds. It's divided equally at divorce.
Property a spouse owned before marriage, or acquired during it by gift or inheritance, plus its traceable proceeds. Separate property is not divided, but mixed assets may need tracing to separate the community and separate shares.
The portion of a retirement account earned during the marriage is community property and divided equally, often via a QDRO; contributions before marriage are separate. Accounts that span both usually require tracing.
No. It organizes your community and separate property against California's equal-division baseline and flags mixed items to discuss. Characterization and tracing disputes are for you and your attorney.
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