Community property (United States) also called community of property (South Africa) is a marital property regime whereby property acquired during a marriage is considered to be owned by both spouses and subject to division between them in the event of divorce. Conversely, property owned by one spouse before the marriage, along with gifts and inheritances they receive during marriage, are treated as that spouse's separate property in the event of divorce. In some cases, separate property can be "transmuted" into community property, or be included in the marital estate for reasons of equity. Community property can also be relevant in probate law, during the disposition of a will.

The concept of community property originated in civil law jurisdictions but is now also found in some common law jurisdictions. Community property regimes can be found in countries around the world including Sweden, Germany, Italy, France, South Africa and parts of the United States. In civil law countries such as Spain, France and Germany, spouses can generally select one of several matrimonial regimes to divide property, with community property being one option, along with the separate property system and a participation system.

Each spouse owns an undivided half-interest in all property acquired during the marriage, except for property acquired by gift or inheritance during the marriage, which is separate property; or which traces to separate property acquired before the marriage, which remains separate property; or which is acquired during a period when the couple are permanently living separately and apart (e.g., legal separation, actual, or de facto), which is also separate property. This genre of community property is also called "ganancial community property."

This is similar to the above, but liabilities ("losses") are separate property.

Community property consists of all property, personalty and realty, acquired during the marriage; and all personalty acquired before the marriage. Realty acquired before marriage is separate property.

Similar to community of acquests and gains but certain marital property is separate property.

All pre-marital and marital property is community property. However, if there are children from a prior marriage, the property associated with that marital community may be segregated from the community property of a subsequent marriage, to ensure the children of the prior spouse have an inheritance.

In Russia, community property was introduced by the Soviet government in 1926. Prior to that, laws evolved by the late 18th century dictated separate property regime, so a married woman was (at least in theory) in full charge of her property, including the dowry and whatever she acquired personally during the marriage. The new Soviet system replaced this with a limited form of community property, namely community of acquisitions, and it survives to the present day. The only significant change, made in 1995, was the introduction of marital agreement which didn't exist under the Soviet law. Such an agreement may be signed at any time before or after conclusion of the marriage. It may regulate the spouses' rights on a basis entirely alien to the statutory regime, but shouldn't put any of them (especially one who cannot provide for themselves) into a clearly unfavorable position.