{"id":351788,"date":"2026-02-19T14:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/family\/divorce\/worksheet-division-of-property.html"},"modified":"2026-02-19T14:41:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:41:00","slug":"worksheet-division-of-property","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/family\/divorce\/worksheet-division-of-property.html","title":{"rendered":"Worksheet: Division of Property"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Worksheet: Division of Property<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Jordan Walker, J.D.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Every state establishes its divorce laws, including those that address division of property.  A division of property worksheet can help both parties identify their assets or marital property.  It can also help guide both parties through divorce mediation. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Worksheet: Division of Property<\/h2>\n

When couples separate, they must divide their property. Division of marital assets is the most painful part of divorce after child custody and child support.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Family law courts look at several factors when dividing property, including the length of the marriage or partnership, the nature of the property, and state law about marital property division. This article gives an overview of state laws and how couples may divide their assets and debts during a separation.<\/p>\n

Community Property vs. Common Law Property<\/h2>\n

Nine states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin) are community property states, which generally means that most property acquired during the marriage is treated as belonging to both spouses and is divided equally in divorce. Alaska is primarily an equitable\u2011distribution state, but it has an \u201copt\u2011in\u201d community\u2011property system that allows couples to agree to have some or all of their property treated as community property..<\/p>\n

All other states use a common\u2011law or equitable\u2011distribution system, where a judge divides marital property in a way the court considers fair, which may or may not be a 50\/50 split.<\/p>\n

Both parties keep their separate property. Separate property usually includes assets a spouse owned before the marriage and assets acquired during the marriage by inheritance, bequest, or as a gift from someone outside the marriage, or bought with separate funds, but the exact rules depend on state law. Many equitable\u2011distribution states treat gifts between spouses as marital property by default unless a law or valid agreement says otherwise, so interspousal gifts are not automatically separate property everywhere.<\/p>\n

Divorce Worksheet 1: Dividing Some Property<\/h3>\n

Petitioner and Respondent are getting divorced. They have their financial assets and debts worksheet on the table. So far, it looks like this:<\/p>\n