California’s real estate co-ownership landscape is changing. The state is in the middle of a generational wealth transfer unlike anything it has seen before. Property values have risen sharply over the past decade. More families are now receiving real estate through inheritance. Many of those heirs didn’t plan to become co-owners. They have different financial situations, priorities, and ideas about what to do with the property.
The scale of the problem is now documented. According to the reports in Newsweek, a record 18% of all property transfers in California occurred through inheritance in 2025. New co-ownership arrangements are forming across the state at a pace that has not been seen in decades. Most of these heirs have no written agreement about how to manage the property. There is no plan for what happens when one owner wants to sell, and another doesn’t.
Under California law, every co-owner holds an absolute right to seek a partition action, a court-ordered division or sale of jointly held property, regardless of what the other owner wants. That right exists under California Code of Civil Procedure §§ 872.010 to 874.240. However, exercising it without experienced legal counsel is slow, expensive, and frequently results in worse outcomes. Most people entering a partition action for the first time have never navigated the process before.
To address the surge in partition action demand across the state, Underwood Law Firm is expanding its statewide practice and scaling its case intake across Northern and Southern California. Founding attorney Elijah Underwood said the firm has deliberately narrowed its focus to a single area of practice. He noted that the firm’s website identifies it as “partition lawyers” rather than real estate or civil litigation attorneys. It’s a choice that shows what the firm does and who it serves.
This focus has produced results. The firm has handled over 500 partition actions across California since its founding in 2021, spanning residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties. It maintains offices in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Orange County. Elijah Underwood is widely recognized as the foremost expert on partition law in California and has litigated cases in courts throughout the state.
When a co-owner engages the firm, attorneys assess the situation and identify the most direct path to resolution: a forced court-ordered sale, a negotiated buyout, or full litigation when other options fail. Contingency fee representation is available in qualifying cases. Clients who have inherited property and need a clear, legally sound path forward can contact the firm directly for an initial consultation.