Community property is the property husbands and wives own together under the laws of nine states—Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The laws differ in detail, but they generally consider any property received through the efforts of a husband or his wife as the joint property of both. This property does not include gifts and inheritances to only the husband or wife, or property that one of them owned before the marriage. When the husband or wife dies, half the property goes to the survivor. Only the other half of the property can be willed. In case of divorce, most states require the husband and wife to divide community property evenly. Property acquired in a noncommunity property state may be considered community property in the nine community property states.
