Typically, a spouse only has an interest in property or assets accumulated during marriage, not those brought into a marriage and acquired without the spouse's contribution. You should therefore have a good case to be made that these are not a marital asset (or rather, ; however, you should *not* attempt to resolve this matter yourself. By what you write, the outcome of who owns the tools will have a major impact on your life and ability to meet any support obligations; you should therefore retain experienced divorce counsel to represent you in this matter and make sure you are not liable for more than your fair share of marital assets (and also that any support you end up owing is as affordable and reasonable as possible). The money you pay for the attorney will be a very good investment.