This is from one of the top law firms in my area that specializes in Partition. When one of the property co-owners decides to initiate a partition action, there are four well-known stages: - Filing of the lawsuit - Determination of the parties' interests - Appointment of a referee and the sale of the property - Division of the proceeds from the sale In the first stage, the partition complaint must be completed with all of the necessary allegations, which are required by the Code of Civil Procedure. A knowledgeable partition lawyer can help in this regard. In the second stage, after the other owners of the property have filed a formal answer, the court will determine the parties' interests in the property. An experienced partition lawyer will be familiar with all the nuances of deeds and will be able to provide insight into the different arguments that can be made about the nature of a party's interests as set forth in a deed. In the third stage, the court will appoint a partition referee, or agent of the court, to sell the property in accordance with the determinations made in the interlocutory judgment. In the fourth and final stage, the proceeds from the sale will be divided among the co-owners.