California Bankruptcy Homestead Exemption (updated January 2012)

CAL. CCP. CODE § 704.730 : California Code - Section 704.730

(a) The amount of the homestead exemption is one of the
following:
(1) Seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) unless the judgment
debtor or spouse of the judgment debtor who resides in the homestead
is a person described in paragraph (2) or (3).
(2) One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) if the judgment debtor
or spouse of the judgment debtor who resides in the homestead is at
the time of the attempted sale of the homestead a member of a family
unit, and there is at least one member of the family unit who owns no
interest in the homestead or whose only interest in the homestead is
a community property interest with the judgment debtor.
(3) One hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000) if the
judgment debtor or spouse of the judgment debtor who resides in the
homestead is at the time of the attempted sale of the homestead any
one of the following:
(A) A person 65 years of age or older.
(B) A person physically or mentally disabled who as a result of
that disability is unable to engage in substantial gainful
employment. There is a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of
proof that a person receiving disability insurance benefit payments
under Title II or supplemental security income payments under Title
XVI of the federal Social Security Act satisfies the requirements of
this paragraph as to his or her inability to engage in substantial
gainful employment.
(C) A person 55 years of age or older with a gross annual income
of not more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or, if the
judgment debtor is married, a gross annual income, including the
gross annual income of the judgment debtor's spouse, of not more than
twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and the sale is an involuntary
sale.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the
combined homestead exemptions of spouses on the same judgment shall
not exceed the amount specified in paragraph (2) or (3), whichever is
applicable, of subdivision (a), regardless of whether the spouses
are jointly obligated on the judgment and regardless of whether the
homestead consists of community or separate property or both.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if both spouses
are entitled to a homestead exemption, the exemption of proceeds of
the homestead shall be apportioned between the spouses on the basis
of their proportionate interests in the homestead.