Even if only one spouse's name is on the deed, any property bought during the marriage is presumed to be community property, unless it was bought with separate property funds. The spouse claiming it as separate property must prove it in court.
Legal Separation isn't available in Texas, so couples who would like to end their marriage formally must follow the state's divorce process. However, the court allows couples to live apart and make temporary arrangements while a divorce is pending.
The process of partition action starts with one or more owners filing a petition in court. The court then examines the real estate details and the owners' interests to decide on the best division method.
A partition agreement divides, or partitions, a married couple's community estate into two separate estates. It is sometimes called a post-nuptial or post-marital agreement and is similar to a prenuptial agreement, except that it is executed by a married couple.
Property acquired during the marriage (outside of the noted exceptions) is considered community property. The spouses can, however, agree to convert (or “transmute”) community property into separate property. In Texas, this is done via a written agreement establishing a partition or exchange between the parties.
There are two potential pathways in seeking a partition: Partitions may be in kind (meaning that property is divided into separate parcels and each parcel is allotted to a separate owner) or by sale (meaning that property is sold and sale proceeds are divided among the owners).
Potential solutions for dividing inherited property include selling the property and dividing the proceeds, providing siblings with co-ownership, and having one sibling buy out the other siblings.
Community vs. Separate property, as defined under Texas law, is any asset that you owned before your marriage, as well as anything you received individually as a gift or inheritance during your marriage. Pre-marriage ownership – Anything you owned before you got married remains solely yours.