It’s the same way a judge won’t order a house to be chain-sawed down the middle. If a judge can’t do that (perhaps the assett has disproportionate value to the other items in the couple’s total estate), then the judge might give one party ownership, subject to a lien owed to the other due to be paid off either at a specific time or upon sale of the assett.

I don’t know how long this couple was married. Remember that if one of the parties had the property before they got married, the value attributable to the assett at that time would be the seperate property of the person who first owned it. The remainder of the value MIGHT be community property, if it was increased in value during ownership by the contributions of the married couple (either in labor or additional mony).

The real battle will probably be won at the first hearing for temporary restraining orders. The judge will give one or the other control of the team pending trial. By the time the trial occurs, that status quo usually becomes permanant.