Moving is stressful under the best circumstances. Moving because a marriage is ending adds a layer of emotional weight that turns every practical decision — who keeps the couch, how to split the kitchen, when to schedule the truck — into something far more complicated than logistics. The physical act of dividing one household into two forces you to make hundreds of small decisions during a time when decision-making feels nearly impossible.
At SOS Moving, we handle divorce relocations regularly, and the moves that go smoothly share one thing in common: someone treated the logistics as a separate project from the emotions. That doesn't mean ignoring how you feel — it means creating a practical plan that works regardless of what's happening between two people. This guide focuses entirely on the moving logistics because that's the part we can actually help with.
Planning the Split Before Moving Day
The biggest mistake in divorce moves is showing up on moving day without a clear agreement on who takes what. Two people, two different memories of who bought the dining table, and a moving crew standing by at $119 per hour while the argument unfolds — that scenario costs money and creates exactly the kind of confrontation that everyone wants to avoid.
Before anyone packs a single box, walk through the house together or separately and create a written inventory. Every room, every major item, every piece of furniture. Assign each item to one person. For disputed items, mark them as "discuss" and resolve those separately — not on moving day with movers present.
California is a community property state, which means assets acquired during the marriage are split equally unless a prenuptial agreement says otherwise. This applies to furniture, appliances, electronics, and household goods just as much as financial assets. If you and your spouse can't agree on division, a mediator can help — and their hourly rate is significantly lower than two lawyers arguing over a sectional sofa.
Shared items that neither person wants to split — a bedroom set, a large dining table, matching bookshelves — can be sold and the proceeds divided. This is often the simplest path when both parties are moving to smaller spaces, which is common in LA where a shared two-bedroom apartment becomes two separate one-bedrooms at higher individual cost.
Document the condition of everything before packing. Photos with timestamps protect both parties if a dispute arises later about whether damage happened during the move or was pre-existing. This takes twenty minutes and eliminates an entire category of post-move conflict.
Scheduling and Coordination
The logistics of who moves when depends on your specific situation, but a few approaches consistently work better than others.
The cleanest option is sequential moves on the same day. Person A's belongings are loaded and removed in the morning, and Person B's belongings are packed and loaded in the afternoon. This works well when both parties are civil and the household is small enough for a half-day move each. At SOS Moving, we can coordinate back-to-back moves with the same crew or two separate crews depending on the volume.
If being present at the same time isn't realistic, schedule moves on different days. One person moves out completely, then the other person moves what remains. This approach requires more trust — the first person to move could potentially take disputed items — which is why the written inventory matters. Having a mutual friend or mediator present during each move adds accountability without the tension of both spouses supervising each other.
For high-conflict situations, some couples designate a neutral third party — a friend, family member, or professional mediator — to oversee the physical division. The movers take direction from this person rather than from either spouse. This removes the emotional dynamic from the moving process entirely and lets the crew focus on doing their job efficiently.
Timing also matters for financial reasons. If you're moving mid-month, both names may still be on the lease, meaning both parties are responsible for that month's rent regardless of who's still living there. Coordinating move-out dates with lease end dates prevents paying double rent, which is already a strain when a single household income is splitting into two separate budgets.
Costs and How to Handle Them
Divorce moving costs are a practical matter that benefits from being addressed directly rather than becoming another point of conflict.
The simplest approach is to split the moving cost equally. One truck, one crew, and the total bill divided by two. If one person has significantly more belongings — or is moving a longer distance — proportional splitting based on volume or time is fairer but requires advance agreement on how to calculate the split.
Alternatively, each person hires their own movers and pays independently. This eliminates the need for cost-sharing negotiations but usually costs more total because you're paying for two separate truck deployments, two travel charges, and two minimum booking periods. For a household that could be moved in one full day with a single crew, splitting into two separate moves can nearly double the total cost.
At SOS Moving, our weekday rate starts at $119 per hour for two movers, with a three-hour minimum. A typical divorce move where one person's belongings fill half a two-bedroom apartment takes three to four hours. Weekend rates start at $135 per hour. For two separate moves, you're looking at six to eight total hours versus four to five hours for a coordinated same-day move.
Additional costs that often surprise people during divorce moves include storage. If your new apartment isn't ready yet, or if you're moving to temporary housing while looking for a permanent place, you'll need somewhere to keep your belongings. Short-term storage solutions range from $100 to $300 per month depending on unit size, and many people in divorce situations need storage for one to three months during the transition.
What Movers Need to Know
Professional moving crews are trained to handle all kinds of situations, but giving them a heads-up about the nature of your move helps them serve you better.
Let your moving company know during the booking call that this is a divorce move with a partial household. This information affects the estimate — a crew packing half a house needs different time and material calculations than a full household move. It also helps the crew lead manage the situation appropriately if both parties are present.
Be specific about what goes on the truck. The written inventory you created becomes the crew's loading list. If items are labeled or tagged — colored stickers work well, with one color per person — the crew can identify what to load and what to leave without asking questions that might be uncomfortable.
At SOS Moving, our crews approach every move with professionalism and discretion. We don't take sides, we don't ask personal questions, and we don't discuss the details of one client's move with anyone else. The move is a job, and our job is to get your belongings from one location to another safely and efficiently, regardless of the circumstances.
If children are involved, consider scheduling the move while they're at school or with a relative. Watching a home being physically divided is difficult for adults — for children, it can be overwhelming. Protecting them from the logistics of the move is a kindness that both parents can usually agree on.
Need a discreet, professional move? SOS Moving handles sensitive relocations with the same care and confidentiality we bring to every job. No judgment, no drama — just professional service. Call 909-443-0004 or get your free estimate.
Downsizing After Divorce
Moving from a shared home to an individual apartment almost always means downsizing, and the math of splitting a household makes that transition more dramatic than a typical downsize.
A two-bedroom house that two people shared comfortably becomes two one-bedroom apartments that are each about 40 percent the size of the original home. Half the furniture, half the kitchen items, and half the storage — but not half the essentials. You each still need a full set of dishes, a couch, a bed, and a dresser. The items you split may leave gaps that require new purchases.
Before spending money replacing what you gave up in the split, live in your new space for two to four weeks. What you think you need on day one is different from what you actually need after settling in. The urgency to recreate a fully furnished home immediately is emotional — and the purchases you make under emotional pressure are often things you'd choose differently with a clear head.
Furniture that doesn't fit your new space can be sold, donated, or stored temporarily while you figure out what works. A professional moving crew can tell you on-site whether a piece will fit through a specific doorway or up a particular staircase — ask before you pay to ship something that won't work in your new home.
Legal Considerations for the Move
A few legal points affect the logistics of divorce moving in California that are worth knowing before you schedule your truck.
Until a divorce is finalized, both spouses have equal legal right to the marital home unless a court order states otherwise. This means one spouse cannot legally lock the other out or prevent them from accessing their belongings. If a restraining order is in place, the terms of that order dictate what access each party has and may require law enforcement presence during the move.
Document everything you take. Photograph each item as it's loaded onto the truck, keep the written inventory, and save your moving company receipt. In contested divorces, a clear record of what was removed and when can prevent false claims of theft or unauthorized removal.
If you're breaking a joint lease early, both names on the lease are equally responsible for any early termination fees. Discuss with your landlord — some are willing to work with divorcing tenants on modified terms, especially if one person is staying and wants to assume the lease individually.
For homeowners, the timing of the move relative to the property sale matters for tax purposes. Consult your divorce attorney about the implications of who lives in the home and for how long, as this affects capital gains exemptions and other financial considerations that go beyond moving logistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one spouse prevent the other from hiring movers? Not unless a court order restricts access to the home. Both spouses have equal right to the marital property until a divorce decree or court order says otherwise. If access is disputed, consult your attorney before scheduling the move.
How do we split moving costs fairly? The simplest approach is equal split for a shared move, or each person pays for their own separate move. If the division is unequal — one person takes significantly more — a proportional split based on volume or hours is reasonable.
Should both people be present during the move? It depends on the relationship. Cooperative divorces work fine with both present. High-conflict situations benefit from a neutral third party overseeing the move while one or both spouses are elsewhere.
What if we disagree about who gets certain items on moving day? Leave disputed items in the home and resolve the disagreement through mediation or legal channels after moving day. Moving crews should never be put in the position of deciding who owns what.
How long does a divorce move typically take? A partial household — one person's share of a two-bedroom home — typically takes three to four hours with a two-person crew. A full household split into two separate moves on the same day takes five to seven hours total.
Get Started with Your Move
SOS Moving handles divorce relocations with professionalism, discretion, and zero judgment. Whether you need a single coordinated move or two separate relocations, our crews focus on getting your belongings to your new home safely and efficiently. Call 909-443-0004 or request your free estimate to discuss your situation confidentially.
