Community Property

California's marital property system: characterization, management, transmutation, reimbursement and division at divorce or death.

1 chapter1 hour of reading15 practice questions

Read chapter 1 free Practice essays

Chapters

1Foundations and the Community Property PresumptionThe foundation of California community property law: the three categories of marital property under Family Code §§ 760, 770 and 125, the economic community that runs from marriage to separation, the general presumption that property acquired during marriage is community property and the three ways to rebut it, who the system covers (spouses, registered domestic partners, putative spouses and unmarried cohabitants), and the four-part characterization paragraph that opens every Community Property essay.62 minFree

How California differs

From chapter 1

CACalifornia distinction

Title states versus California

General rule (federal / majority)

In most states the spouse who earns the asset and holds the title owns it during marriage. At divorce the court divides marital property by equitable distribution, which need not be equal.

California

Ownership arises at acquisition. Each spouse holds a present, equal one-half interest regardless of title, and the court divides community and quasi-community property equally at divorce (Fam. Code § 2550).

Do not write “marital property” or “equitable distribution”. Write “community property” and “equal division”.

Lessons

Grace Lin

Community Property lecturer

Certified Family Law Specialist, bilingual Mandarin/English; Los Angeles family-law practice; former LL.M. student herself.

Our lecturers are AI-voiced teaching personas; the portraits are illustrations.

Video lessons for Community Property are being recorded.

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Unlimited MBE and California questions, timed sets and mocks, AI essay feedback, every chapter as it is published and a study plan built around your exam date.

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