Most people in Sacramento County have been told that California is a "community property state," but very few know exactly what the phrase means. The phrase refers to state laws that govern the division of property in a divorce or legal separation, but even...
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Protecting business assets in a divorce in California
Many couples in Sacramento have entered into a marriage without considering the possibility that a divorce may change their lives unexpectedly. Some couples have attempted to co-own and manage a small business without considering the possible effect of a divorce on...
Dealing with retirement plans in a California divorce
For divorcing couples who have been married for a significant number of years the retirement plans owned by them may be the largest assets they own, worth more than even the house. Because California is a community property state, the process of dividing the assets in...
Using a joint appraiser in a California divorce
One of the most contentious issues in divorces involving wealthy couples is the valuation of joint property. Even in a community property state like ours, where joint assets are divided equally, many assets may require a valuation to ensure the equal division required...
Valuing a small business in a California divorce
Most residents of Sacramento contemplating a divorce understand that a fundamental issues is the division of marital assets. For couples without high value assets, the division can be relatively simple, but for couples who have accumulated significant wealth, the...
What is commingled property in a California divorce?
When divorcing couples in Sacramento think about dividing their property, they believe that property can be divided into two classes: marital property and separate property. Marital property is divided 50/50 between the spouses, while separate property belongs to the...
Understanding the right to reimbursement in a California divorce
Most Californians who are considering divorce understand that assets acquired during the marriage must be divided equally between the spouses. One of the important exceptions to this rule is the so-called right to reimbursement. This rule states that if a spouse...
Hiding assets in a California divorce can be risky
California law requires both parties to a divorce to make a full and complete disclosure of their assets to the other party. Occasionally, one or both parties will attempt to prevent the other spouse from learning about certain assets with the intent of preventing the...
Dividing property and debts in a California divorce
The California legislature presumably decided to make property acquired during a marriage community property to simplify divorces. This choice often has the intended outcome, but many divorcing couples still run into problems in negotiating property division issues....
What happens to pets in a California divorce?
An issue that is often overlooked in the early stages of a California divorce is the disposition of pets. Occasionally, only one spouse wants to keep the family pet, and the issue is easily resolved. In many families, however, both spouses and the children form...