Skip to content

Is Louisiana a community property state?

Yes. Louisiana is a community property state: property acquired during the marriage through either spouse's effort is community property, while property owned before the regime began and inheritances or donations to one spouse are separate. When the community is partitioned, the court divides it so each spouse receives property of equal net value.[1]

Property system
Community

Community property defined in La. Civ. Code art. 2338[2]

At divorce
Equal

The statute calls for a 50/50 split · La. R.S. 9:2801(A)(4)(b)[1]

What Louisiana’s statutes say

  1. Dividing property at divorce

    In a judicial partition, the court divides community assets and liabilities so that each spouse receives property of equal net value.[1]

    “(b) The court shall divide the community assets and liabilities so that each spouse receives property of an equal net value.”[1]

    La. R.S. 9:2801(A)(4)(b) · checked October 26, 2026

  2. Community property

    Community property includes property acquired during the community regime through either spouse's effort, skill or industry, property bought with community funds, joint donations, fruits of community property, and all property not classified by law as separate.[2]

    “The community property comprises: property acquired during the existence of the legal regime through the effort, skill, or industry of either spouse …”[2]

    La. Civ. Code art. 2338 · checked October 26, 2026

  3. Separate property

    Separate property includes property acquired before the community regime, property bought with separate funds, and inheritances or donations to one spouse individually, among other listed items.[3]

    “The separate property of a spouse is his exclusively. It comprises: property acquired by a spouse prior to the establishment of a community property regime …”[3]

    La. Civ. Code art. 2341 · checked October 26, 2026

Not legal advice. Plain-English summaries of Louisiana’s statutes as of the date shown on each, with the text quoted. Whether a particular asset is marital, community or separate depends on the facts, and courts apply the law case by case. Read the linked source or ask a lawyer licensed in Louisiana.

Dividing property in Louisiana? Work it out with a court-listed mediator

A mediator is a neutral who helps you and your spouse reach your own agreement on property, support and parenting time. Every mediator we list comes from an official court or government roster, with the source on the profile.

Get matched — free72 mediators in Louisiana

More

Compare nearby states

All states on the map →

Divorce in Louisiana

Sources

Louisiana’s statutes, read on the official site (or an official court source where the line says so), with the date we checked them.

  1. La. R.S. 9:2801(A)(4)(b) (Louisiana State Legislature)legis.la.govchecked ↩
  2. La. Civ. Code art. 2338 (Louisiana State Legislature)legis.la.govchecked ↩
  3. La. Civ. Code art. 2341 (Louisiana State Legislature)legis.la.govchecked ↩