You do what you can in dividing things up based on what you have to begin with. Sometimes it is a negotiating thing when you both want the same thing. My H basically didn't want anything of ours - I didn't want it either but I wasnt' going to argue about it since he was the one leaving. Managing money and dividing that up was harder to do and harder to be fair. There is usually a lot of give and take there. After a few weeks of separation we started talking again and visiting, I noticed he needed some things that I had extra and took them over to him which he really appreciated. His response was always I don't want to get too comfortable because I expect to come back. (He decides to leave, he decides to come back I guess my feelings don't matter) Anyway, as things went, he ran into problems buying furniture and I ended up helping him to pick out stuff - that was weird.
We kept some financial things together because it is cheaper for both of us - and that has been ok. The rules about this stuff depend on what you want to see happen and what you are able to do.
Sometimes it gets tense, that is when you have to decide what is more important.
