Under the law of some community property states, married persons may agree to convert some or all of their separate property to community property. Such an agreement may be referred to as an agreement to convert separate property to community property or as a transmutation agreement.

The legal character or nature of debts of married persons may also be changed by transmutation in some community property states—changing debts of the parties’ separate estates to debts of the community estate, or debts of the community estate to debts of the separate estates. But an agreement between married persons to change a community debt to the debt of one of the spouses separate estates may not be binding on the creditor—unless the creditor agrees in writing to only look to one spouse for satisfaction of the debt.

In community property states, the laws regarding the availability and scope of transmutation agreements vary from state to state. These laws are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the family code or domestic relations code.

Hawaii is not a community property state; it is an 'equitable distribution' state. This means that during a divorce, marital property is not automatically split 50/50 but is divided in a manner that is equitable, or fair, which may not necessarily be equal. In states that do recognize community property, spouses can enter into transmutation agreements to convert separate property into community property or vice versa. However, since Hawaii does not follow community property laws, the concept of transmutation agreements as described does not apply in the same way. Debts in Hawaii are also divided equitably upon divorce, and any agreement to assign debt responsibility to one spouse would need to be part of the divorce settlement and may require creditor approval to be effective. It's important for individuals in Hawaii to consult with an attorney to understand how marital property and debts will be treated in the event of a divorce.