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.
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.
In short, to force the sale of jointly owned property, you must first confirm title, then attempt a voluntary sale or buyout, file and serve a partition lawsuit, get an appraisal, sell the property, and finally divide the sale proceeds fairly.
In short, yes, you should have an attorney to represent you in a postnuptial agreement for several reasons: To be sure you are treated fairly in the agreement. To have the agreement upheld, as a court is much more likely to say it is a valid contract if both parties were represented by counsel when they entered into it.
A partition agreement does not have to be approved by the court as just and right. In addition to being in writing and signed by both parties, a partition agreement must either specifically reference “partition” or show the parties' intent to convert the property from community property to separate property.
PARTITION. A joint owner or claimant of real property or an interest in real property or a joint owner of personal property may compel a partition of the interest or the property among the joint owners or claimants under this chapter and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
Unless both spouses agree, a spouse must prove that something is separate property by “clear and convincing evidence.” If a spouse cannot prove something is separate property, it is considered to be community property. Read Gathering and Presenting Evidence to help you understand what is allowed in court.