In a divorce if i own half of the house, does the house have to be sold?
Not if you can buy your spouse out of their half. Were there are children who would be disrupted if the house was sold, the court will sometimes order you to buy out your spouse at a later date too. If neither of you can buy the other out, and there is not a compelling reason to make one of you wait to be paid a buy out later, however, it will have to be sold unless one of you just agrees to wait for their buy out payment.