The many proceedings that come along with the divorce process can be intimidating for many Washington state residents. Property division can often cause an upset between parties if they do not entirely agree on who is entitled to what pieces of property. If the division process cannot be handled without third party assistance, court decisions may have a say in who ends up with what assets after a divorce. Because Washington is a community property state when it comes to dividing property, having information on what that means for a situation could be beneficial.
In many cases, a house can be considered community property if it is owned by each spouse. Therefore, it has the potential to be equally divided between each party if neither wants to stake a claim to the property. In that case, it is likely that the house can be sold and the money made from that sale will be divided equally between the two parties who are separating.
There are situations where that endeavor can prove more complicated, especially when one or both parties wish to maintain possession of the home. Determining the value of the home is possibly a prudent place to begin. This determination can be made through assessments and appraisals or possibly through court rulings if the individuals do not agree on the proposed value of the property.
The more an individual understands about Washington state property division laws, the more they may be able to estimate how the process will go. If a party is knowledgeable about the situation, they could potentially have the ability to gain entitlement to certain property. As being prepared can make a great deal of difference in such situations, gathering information beforehand could help the process go more smoothly.