Aggressive California Lawyers Fight for Clients in Community Property Disputes
Tenacious law firm protects the rights of divorcing spouses in the Arcadia area
California is a community property state, which means that divorcing couples are required to split the value of their marital property equally. It does not matter which party acquired the asset or earned the money to do so. If you are going through a divorce, our attorneys with the Law Offices of C. Stephanie Chen provide the legal guidance you need to protect your rights and secure a fair property settlement. With vast experience, our attorneys are strong advocates for clients in the Arcadia area and throughout California during negotiations and in court.
Persistent litigators advise on questions regarding marital property
At the Law Offices of C. Stephanie Chen, our lawyers give clients comprehensive information concerning the division of assets and debts in a divorce. In this jurisdiction, community property encompasses almost any type of asset that is accumulated by a married couple. Items that can be considered as community property include:
- Houses, cars, boats, clothing, furniture
- Copyrights, patents, trademarks
- Bank accounts, stocks, life insurance that has cash value
- Businesses
However, there are items that are not considered community property for the purposes of division following a divorce. These may include:
- Assets acquired before marriage — Community property law does not apply to inheritances and property acquired before the marriage and kept separate during the marriage — for example, funds from a trust that was left to you from your mother’s estate and that you kept in a separate bank account from your spouse or domestic partner throughout the entire duration of the marriage or partnership.
- Items covered by prenuptial agreements — Couples with prenuptial agreements can avoid community property division by setting forth their own terms in writing before marrying or entering into a domestic partnership.
- Mixed community and separate property — commingling — It can be difficult to distinguish between community property and separate property. The most common problem is with pension plans. If a pension plan or retirement account was started before the marriage and contributions continued to be made to it throughout the marriage or partnership, it can be difficult to divide. In this example, the contributions made before marriage might be considered separate property while contributions made during the marriage are considered community property. We can explain how such gray areas are handled under California law.
The attorneys of the Law Offices of C. Stephanie Chen, deliver strong counsel for issues concerning valuation and how assets should be classified. We assert clients’ rights no matter how complex or contentious the divorce might be.
Contact an aggressive California attorney for community property counsel
At the Law Offices of C. Stephanie Chen, our experienced community property law attorneys make it our business to get you through your divorce in California as smoothly as possible. Call us at 626-623-6600 or contact us online for a consultation at our Arcadia office.