1. State law defines the approval or denial of a partition as a limited land use decision. In a partition lawsuit, there are generally four different steps.First, the court determines each party's ownership interests. The referee shall divide or sell the property. Super Lawyers Rated Partition Attorneys in Oakland. Ending Co-Ownership Disputes in Alameda County. The first step to a partition action is to petition the court for a partition of the property. For a free, 15-minute consultation with experienced partition attorney at Partition Lawyer California, call or fill out a contact form online. Partition actions involve courtordered divisions of property. It is usually started when co-owners cannot come to an agreement regarding the property.