How will our assets be divided?
The law in this area depends on the state in which you live. In
“equitable distribution” states, the court considers a variety of factors,
possibly including contribution to the acquisition or improvement of
particular pieces of property, to determine how to fairly divide assets.
Some of these states treat particular types of property, such as gifts
and inheritances, differently than other property acquired during the
marriage. In short-term marriages, the goal may be to put the parties
back into the position they were in at the time of the marriage. In
“community property” states, the theory of property distribution is that
all of the property owned by the two spouses belongs to both spouses
equally. Only a few states use the “community property” system.

No matter what the state of the law of your particular state, an
experienced lawyer can tell you how judges generally divide marital
property there. Knowing the likely decisions of your judge can
contribute to the likelihood that you and your spouse can agree
on the distribution of property in your case, so make sure to
address this issue with your lawyer.

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nature, and may not address the specific circumstances of a given divorce
case. For specific advice, please contact a local attorney or other appropriate
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