Perhaps the most common way for unmarried couples to take title to real property is as "tenants in common." Unlike a joint tenancy, a tenant in common has no automatic right to inherit the property when the other partner dies.
If you aren't married, you won't need a legal separation or divorce to formalise your separation. Those are only possible for married couples or civil partners. However, you may benefit from having a separation agreement drawn up to outline your financial split.
Dividing a House in Washington State: Community Property State: Washington State is a community property state, meaning both spouses own an undivided interest in the house. The court has discretion to divide the property fairly, which might not always be a 50/50 split. Determining The Equity: To divide the house, f.
How Does the Court Usually Divide Property? A court in Washington State will usually a) award each party his or her own separate property and b) divide the net value of the parties' community property 50/50.
Strategies for Keeping the House in a Washington Divorce If the home was purchased by one or both spouses during the marriage, it legally belongs to both of you 50/50 when splitting divorce assets. So, to get the house in the divorce, you will need to buy your spouse out of your interest equity in the house.
Do Unmarried Couples Have Rights In Washington State? Yes, especially in property division—but rights differ from those of married couples. Unmarried couples may have the right to: Equitable distribution of jointly acquired property.
Explanation of Community Property Community property means that spouses who acquire property during marriage own property equally, 50/50. That means that one spouse on death can leave his or her share as he or she wants and on divorce, it typically is divided 50/50 as well.
This second function of the Community Property Agreement, that automatic conveyance of all assets to the surviving spouse at the moment of the death of one spouse, is perhaps the most common and most reliable way for married couples to avoid probate in Washington State.
A defining feature of joint tenancy is the right of survivorship—if one owner dies, their share automatically passes to the surviving joint tenants, avoiding probate. In Washington, this can simplify the transfer of property between spouses or family members, especially for homes and real estate investments.
Washington state law permits all community property passed through a CPA to be transferred to the surviving spouse without probate, so the agreement keeps all of the deceased person's property out of probate.