Separate property is essentially any property you owned before the marriage, received as a gift specifically to you during the marriage, and property you inherited during the marriage. The proceeds from separate property also remain separate. For example, if you inherited a house from your parents while you were married and rented it out, then the rent proceeds remain separate. Similarly, debts you owed before marriage continue to be separate debts. Problems arise when separate property or debts get commingled or mixed up with community debts, such as when you owned a home before marriage that both of you live in now and use your salaries to pay the mortgage and taxes after marriage.
Many people represent themselves in divorce cases.
The law does not require you to have an attorney. The courthouses have some basic forms available. If you have not been married very long, do not have children, do not own a home or have retirement benefits, and your assets and debts are very limited, then it is possible to do the divorce yourself with little or no problems down the road. If there are children involved, or significant assets and debts, then I do not recommend trying to represent yourself in the divorce. There is a conflict of interest between a husband and wife in the process of divorce.