If I earn money or buy property after we separate, is it shared in equalization?

No. Assets acquired after the valuation date — which is typically the date of separation — are not included in either spouse's net family property for equalization purposes. The equalization snapshot is frozen at the valuation date. Income earned, savings accumulated, or property purchased after that date belong entirely to the acquiring spouse.

This is one of the most important reasons to establish a clear valuation date early. If you and your spouse dispute when separation actually occurred, the timing of asset acquisitions during that disputed period can become highly contentious.

There is one nuance: income or growth earned from assets that existed at the valuation date may also not be shared — the NFP is calculated at the valuation date, not when the case is eventually resolved. However, if a separation agreement or court order is delayed for years, both parties need to carefully preserve records of what existed at the actual separation date versus what developed afterward.