Final answer:
Vaughan's chapter "Going Public" in 'Uncoupling' does not specify the most difficult property to divide, but financial assets like homes and savings might be inferred as challenging due to their financial and emotional value.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Vaughan's chapter "Going Public" from the book Uncoupling, couples starting to divide up common property face the challenges of determining who gets what, which can lead to contentious situations. Vaughan does not specify which piece of property is the most difficult to divide. However, based on research related to financial stress and divorce, such as that from the University of Virginia's National Marriage Project, one could infer that assets like a home, savings, and retirement plans might be among the most difficult and contentious to divide because they represent a significant financial asset base. These are not just practical assets but also emotional ones, as they're tied to the couple's plans for the future and may represent a large portion of their shared experiences and efforts.
Furthermore, the lack of a strong asset base is associated with a greater probability of divorce, with couples who have less than $10,000 in assets being 70 percent more likely to get divorced within three years compared to those who have more. This suggests that the division of significant assets could be a particularly distressing part of the process, fraught with both emotional and financial stress.