What happens if both spouses have the same net family property?

If both spouses calculate identical net family property figures, the equalization payment is zero. The formula — pay half the difference — produces nothing when there is no difference. Neither spouse owes the other anything under the equalization scheme.

This outcome is relatively uncommon in practice because even spouses with similar incomes tend to accumulate different assets and have different pre-marriage deductions and excluded property. Small differences in valuation or what counts as excluded property often mean one spouse's NFP is at least somewhat higher than the other's.

Even when equalization produces a zero payment, spouses still have other financial matters to resolve: support, parenting arrangements, and who keeps which physical assets (furniture, vehicles, personal property). The equalization payment only addresses the property balancing obligation — the rest of the settlement is a separate negotiation.