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The Daily Insight

Is my spouse entitled to my inheritance in California?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published Feb 26, 2026

In general, one spouse’s inheritance (as well as gifts given to one spouse) will remain separate property during a marriage in California. This will keep it separate property rather than it joining the community. Do not purchase anything that is for both you and your spouse with your inheritance money.

Is spousal support for life in California?

A general rule is that spousal support will last for half the length of a less than 10 years long marriage. However, in longer marriages, the court will not set alimony duration. The circumstances vary from person to person, but the courts rarely favor “lifetime support.”

Can a married couple in California be residents?

But even leaving that aside, married couple tend to spend time together, and if a substantial amount of that time is spent in California, where one spouse resides, the other spouse can begin to look very much like a resident. In the past, this situation was so uncommon it hardly made a blip on the FTB’s radar scope.

Can a non-California spouse have a domicile in California?

And where a taxpayer’s family resides is a weighty factor both in determining residency and domicile, especially if the taxpayer is spending significant time in California. If there is any ambiguity, the FTB will conclude the non-California spouse remains a California domiciliary and is only living out-of-state “temporarily.”

Can a domiciliary of California live in another state?

It is the place where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return. So, you can be a domiciliary of California even while your residence is elsewhere. The two are often the same, but not necessarily so.

Where did Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson get married?

In 1997, after Laci graduated, they married at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in San Luis Obispo County ‘s Avila Valley. While Peterson finished his senior year, Laci took a job in nearby Prunedale.