California Divorce Law...

Separate property is any of the following:

• Property a party owned before marriage.
• Property a party acquired during the marriage by gift or inheritance .
• Income from either of these.
• Property acquired explicitly as separate property during the marriage.
• Post-separation earnings, gains, or winnings.
• Property acquired by a woman before 1975 by "an instrument in writing" is presumed separate.

Sections 770, 771, 803.

Cases:

Petersen (1994) 34 Cal Rptr 2d 449, 28 Cal App. 4th 1742 (property acquired expressly as half the separate property of each party would not be community property).

Huxley (1984) 206 Cal Rptr 291, 159 CA3d 1253 (a party who contributes separate property to a community purchase is entitled to reimbursement, without sharing in appreciation).

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