The law recognises that during many marriage/civil partnerships the assets of either spouse/partner which are pre-marriage/pre-civil partnership or inherited or gifts are used for the ordinary purposes of combined family life and are sometimes ‘mixed and mingled’ with resources acquired during the marriage/civil partnership. This can be, for example, through bank accounts, purchasing real property including the family home or paying into pensions. The consequence is that these assets which were originally non marital/non-civil partnership and therefore not automatically shared become marital or civil partnership and therefore shared. The circumstances of mixing and mingling are complex and fact specific. If in doubt, legal advice should be taken.