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Simple English definitions for legal terms
community-property state
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A quick definition of community-property state:
A community-property state is a place where married couples own things they get during their marriage together. This doesn't include things they get as a gift or inheritance. It's different from a common-law state where each spouse owns what they get individually.
A more thorough explanation:
A community-property state is a state where married couples own property acquired during their marriage as community property. This means that both spouses have equal ownership and control over the property, except for property acquired through inheritance or individual gift.
For example, if a couple in a community-property state buys a house together during their marriage, both spouses have equal ownership and control over the property. If they were to divorce, the property would be divided equally between them.
Another example is if one spouse in a community-property state inherits a large sum of money from a relative. This money would be considered separate property and would not be subject to equal division in the event of a divorce.
Overall, community-property states have different laws and regulations regarding property ownership and division during marriage and divorce compared to common-law states.