Property Division Calculator by State

How your marital estate divides depends on your state. Nine community-property states split marital assets and debts 50/50; the other 41 use "equitable distribution" — a fair split that is often, but not always, equal. Pick your state to estimate the division.

Separate property is the usual surprise

What you owned before the marriage, plus gifts and inheritances, generally stays yours and is not divided — but only if it was kept separate. Deposit an inheritance into a joint account or put a spouse on the deed and it can become marital property. Commingling, more often than the state's regime, is what changes the outcome.

Community property vs. equitable distribution

The nine community-property states — Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin — treat almost everything earned or acquired during the marriage as jointly owned, and divide it 50/50 on divorce. The remaining 41 states and D.C. use equitable distribution: a judge divides the marital estate in a way that is fair given factors like each spouse's income and earning capacity, the length of the marriage, contributions (including as a homemaker), custody of children, and each spouse's separate wealth. Fair often lands near 50/50, but courts can and do weight it 60/40 or further.

In every state, separate property — generally what you owned before the marriage, plus gifts and inheritances kept separate — stays with its owner and is not divided, as long as it wasn't commingled with marital assets.