On behalf of Mohajer Law Firm, APC posted in property division on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
Certain terms might be confusing when a Los Angeles couple is getting a legal separation or a divorce. Property division is relatively self-explanatory, but when getting into the details, there can be portions that are not as clear. One is quasi-community property. Knowing what quasi-community property is before moving forward with a divorce can make the process easier when determining who has the right to various pieces of marital property.
Property acquired by either or both spouses when they were living in a different state is quasi-community property if it would have been viewed as community property had they lived in California at the time of acquisition. What this means is if the couple lived somewhere outside California and there were purchases of real estate, earnings, or acquisition of other forms of property that would be declared community property in California, it falls into this category. If the couple is divorcing in California, it will be viewed as community property.
A hypothetical example would be a dual-income couple living in a different state buying a vehicle. They then moved to California. Once they file to divorce or legally separate in California, the earnings from their work and the car may be quasi-community property. This is because California law could state that the vehicle, had it been purchased in California, would have been community property.
For couples who lived elsewhere and are parting ways in California, quasi-property might be something they had not counted on and could cause a dispute they had not expected. It is in circumstances such as these and any other factor that arises in a divorce that could make it important to have legal assistance from an attorney who is well-versed in all the aspects of property division.