Q: If my girlfriend of 8 years (3 kids) split and only my name is on the house. If I sell, do we split proceeds?
A:
In California, if you purchased the house during your relationship and your girlfriend contributed financially to the mortgage payments or other expenses related to the property, she may have a legal interest in the property. California is a community property state, which generally means that property acquired during a marriage or registered domestic partnership is considered community property and is subject to equal division between the spouses/partners upon divorce or separation.
If you and your girlfriend were never married or in a registered domestic partnership, the situation may be different. In such cases, the laws governing property division can be more complex. If your girlfriend has no legal ownership interest in the property, she may not have a claim to the proceeds from the sale.
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