在美国，存在两种夫妻财产制度，一种是community property（中文可译为“夫妻共同财产制度”），另一种是separate property/common law property（中文可译为“夫妻分别财产制度”）。两种制度在配偶双方所享有的财产权利方面有所不同。在community property制度下，配偶一方收益的一半由对方拥有；而在separate property/common law property制度下，配偶一方拥有个人的一切收益。

在五十个州中，共有四十一个州实行separate property，其余九个州（包括路易斯安那州、德克萨斯州、新墨西哥州、亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州、华盛顿州、爱达荷州、内华达州和威斯康星州）则实行community property。但是，阿拉斯加州比较特别，因为其实行的是optional community property，也就是说，夫妻双方订立community property agreement（共同财产协议）或设立community property trust（共同财产信托）即可创设community property。

即使只有九个州实行community property，但每个州关于community property的规定却不甚相同。为了能够更加详细地了解美国夫妻财产制度的具体规定，下面以德克萨斯州为例进行详细讲解（注：英文部分摘自Texas State Law Library，中文内容为本人翻译）：

“What is community property?

什么是夫妻共同财产？

Under Texas law, all of the property and earnings of both spouses acquired during the marriage is considered to be community property (property owned together by the spouses). It makes no difference whose income paid for it or whose name is on the title, contract, account, or note, as long as it was purchased between the date of marriage and the date of the divorce and was not a gift, inheritance, or personal injury settlement.

德克萨斯州法律规定，夫妻双方在婚姻存续期间获得的全部财产和收入均视为夫妻共同财产。无论用谁的钱买单，亦无论所有权凭证、合同、账户或文件上写的是谁的名字，只要是在结婚日期到离婚日期之间的期间购买的均视为夫妻共同财产，但赠与物、遗产或人身损害赔偿不包括在内。

Examples of community property include:

Income from employment, including all wages, salaries, tips, and overtime;

A house or other real estate purchased during the marriage;

Vehicles purchased during the marriage (regardless of which spouses name is on title);

Individual contributions to pension, 401K, or other retirement accounts made from the date of marriage;

Unemployment compensation and payment for lost wages;

Balance of checking and savings accounts, regardless of whether the account is single or joint.

夫妻共同财产具体包括：

就业收入，包括全部工资、薪金、小费和加班费；

婚姻存续期间购买的房屋或其他地产；

婚姻存续期间购买的车辆（不论所有权凭证上登记的户主是哪一方）；

自结婚之日起个人向养老金、401K或其他退休金账户提供的缴款；

失业补偿金和误工费；

支票账户和储蓄账户余额（不论是个人账户还是共同账户）。

What is separate property?

什么是夫妻单独财产？

Everything acquired during a marriage is community property unless a spouse can prove (or the spouses agree) that it is separate property. Separate property is property owned before marriage, or acquired during the marriage as a gift, through inheritance, or as part of a personal injury settlement.

婚姻存续期间获得的全部财产均为夫妻共同财产，除非一方能够证明（或双方一致认为）某一财产属于夫妻单独财产。夫妻单独财产是指夫妻双方在结婚前拥有的财产或者在婚姻存续期间获得的赠与物、遗产或人身损害赔偿。

Examples of separate property include:

A spouse’s house purchased before the marriage;

A car given to a spouse by his parents;

Jewelry given to a spouse by the other spouse;

Retirement contributions made to a spouse’s retirement account before the marriage;

Spouse’s inheritance;

A spouse’s personal injury settlement resulting from an auto accident in which he was injured.

夫妻单独财产具体包括：

一方结婚前购买的房屋；

一方父母赠与的汽车；

一方向另一方赠与的珠宝；

一方结婚前为其退休金账户提供的缴款；

一方继承的遗产；

一方因车祸受伤获得的人身损害赔偿。

Reimbursement: A house or car purchased before the marriage is separate property. But if mortgage payments or car payments on separate property were made with community funds after the marriage, the non-owning spouse can ask for reimbursement of money spent to pay for the other spouse’s separate property.

偿还：结婚前购买的房屋或汽车属于夫妻单独财产。但是，如果有关夫妻单独财产的房贷或车贷在结婚后通过夫妻共同基金支付，则非为所有人的一方可以要求另一方偿还其用于支付单独财产产生的费用。

How will the court divide our property?

法院会如何分割财产？

The court is not required to divide marital property equally. The court is only required to make a “just and right” division, considering the needs of the children, education and earning capacity of the spouses, fault in the breakup of the marriage (if stated in the divorce petition), who has custody of the children, and any other factor that the court thinks is relevant. If the spouses agree to a division of property and debt, the court will usually approve the agreement as “just and right.” The spouse who is awarded the property is typically responsible for the debt that goes with it (for example, a car payment, or mortgage).

法院无需平均分配夫妻财产，只需在考量子女的需求、夫妻的教育和谋生能力、婚姻破裂中的过错（如果离婚申请书有说明）、对子女的监护权和法院认为相关的任何其他因素后作出‘公平公正’的分割。若夫妻双方对财产和债务的分割达成一致，法院通常会予以批准并认为属于‘公平公正’。

How will the court divide our debts?

法院会如何分割债务？

Marital debt is debt that is created or liabilities that are incurred during the marriage. It can include the balance of a car note, a mortgage, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, medical debts, and other liabilities. The court is not required to divide debt equally upon divorce. It is required only to make a “just and right division” depending on the circumstances of the parties.

夫妻共同债务是指婚姻存续期间产生的债务或责任，包括车贷欠款、抵押贷款、信用卡、个人贷款、学生贷款、医疗债务及其他负债。法院无需在离婚时平均分配债务，只需依据双方状况作出‘公平公正的分割’。

Both spouses are responsible for the debts and liabilities of the marriage, regardless of which spouse created it or the name that is on the title or note. A car purchased on credit during the marriage is community property. A divorce court can award the car (and balance owed) to one spouse, but does not have the power to remove the other spouse’s name from the contract that created the debt. The creditor can still look to the other spouse for payment. The same holds true for credit card agreements, mortgage contracts and other debts. If your spouse opened an account using your information without your knowledge or consent, it may be considered fraud or identity theft.

不论是哪一方产生的债务，也不论所有权凭证或文件上登记的是哪一方，夫妻双方均对婚姻存续期间产生的债务和责任承担义务。婚姻存续期间通过赊账方式购买的汽车属于夫妻共同财产。离婚法院可以将汽车（以及欠付余款）判给其中一方，但无权在产生债务的契约中将另一方去除。债权人仍可以指望另一方支付余款。上述情况也适用于信用卡协议、抵押合同和其他债务。若一方在未经另一方知悉或同意的情况下利用另一方的信息开立账户，可视为欺诈或身份盗用。”

参考：

《元照英美法词典》；

https://texaslawhelp.org/article/community-property