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How to divide household items in a divorce. Calmly, step by step. A practical guide now, and the Belongings app on the way.
Furniture, dishes, tools, the piano: dividing household things is often where the small arguments pile up. A simple, fair process helps. Follow the steps below; Belongings, coming soon, will do the photo list and the picking with you.
Read the steps- SofaAlex keeps
- PianoSam keeps
- Floor lampAlex keeps
- Kids' bikesGo with the kids
- PaintingBoth want it
- Coffee mugsSam keeps
The steps
A fair way to divide household things
List everything, sort it into what's clear and what isn't, take turns choosing what you both want, and plan the handover in writing.
- List everything, room by room. Include the garage, attic, basement and any storage unit. A photo of each thing helps you both remember exactly what's there. Some people walk through with colored sticky notes, one color each, on the things they'd like.
- Sort into four groups: things that are clearly one person's (clothes, personal items), things only one of you wants, things you both want, and things neither of you wants.
- Put a rough value on anything that matters money-wise: what it would sell for used, not what it would cost new. Most household things are worth less than people expect.
- Take turns for the things you both want. Toss a coin for who goes first, then alternate picks. Or one of you makes two lists of roughly equal value, and the other chooses which list to keep. Either way, it feels fair to you both.
- Decide what goes with the kids: their beds, bikes, toys and school things usually follow them.
- Sell, donate or give away what neither wants, and agree what happens to any money from selling.
- Plan the handover: who picks up what, and when. Write down the final list of who keeps what, and both keep a copy.
Things that need more thought
- Sentimental items and family heirlooms: photos can be copied and shared; for one-of-a-kind things, talk it through before anything moves.
- Pets: decide who they'll live with and how their costs are shared, with their routine in mind.
- When one of you stays in the house: agree what stays with the house, such as appliances and built-in furniture, and give the person moving a fair window to collect their things.
- Gifts to one of you, and things one of you owned before: list them anyway, with a note.
Ask your attorney or mediator
- How should pets be handled for us?
- Do any of our household things count as just one person's, such as gifts, heirlooms or things owned before?
- Should the value of what each of us keeps count in the overall split?
Household things belong on your list of assets too. The asset and debt spreadsheet has a row for furniture and household contents.
What Belongings will do
From a photo inventory to moving day.
Belongings, coming soon, will follow the steps above with you: a photo list room by room, each person's picks, and a handover plan.
A photo inventory
Go room by room and photograph each thing, so nothing gets forgotten in the garage or the attic.
Say what you'd keep
Each of you marks what you'd like to keep, and you see at a glance what's agreed and what you both want.
Plan the handover
Agree who picks up what, and when, then export the final list for your records.
Start today
Free resources you can use now
More free resources for dividing what you own.
General information, not legal advice. Just Divvy provides general information for educational purposes only. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Divorce and property laws vary by state. Check your state's laws and talk to a licensed attorney in your state before making decisions.