Yes, you may become responsible for the debt your spouse accrued during your marriage, as California is one of nine community property states. Any debt your spouse accrued while married will automatically become part of community property, meaning you both share the marital debt equally, even if only one of you or responsible for actually acquiring the debt. The community property rule applies to both assets and joint debts during a divorce. Under this rule, the courts view a married couple as their own community. Within this community, both parties own equal shares of all marital property acquired (California Family Code Section 2550). They also own equal shares of the marital debt acquired. In California, if a divorce case goes to court, the goal is to achieve as equal a division as possible – ideally, a 50/50 split between both spouses. In other words, you may receive 50% of your spouse’s debt as part of your marital property division order. There are a few exceptions to the rule, however, that may allow you to avoid accruing your spouse’s debt.