Here's the deal ... because the estranged couple has no prenup, everything they acquired over their roughly 2-year marriage is community property, which means the assets acquired during the marriage are divided equally. But, that's not as easy as it sounds ... not by a long shot.

One of the biggest assets in play is Ben's hugely successful production company, Artists Equity (AE), in which he's partnered with his best bud, Matt Damon. As a result, Damon could get dragged into the ugly divorce, since he's a major stakeholder in the company.

The company was formed in November, 2022 ... 4 months after B&J tied the knot. So, it would seem Ben's stake in the company is community property.

Simply put ... J Lo would be financially entitled to a share of the profits generated by AE's recent and upcoming hit movies, including "Air," "Unstoppable," "The Instigators," "Small Things Like These" and "The Accountant 2."

For her part, J Lo has been involved in a number of her own major projects, such as "Atlas," "This Is Me... Now," "The Mother," "Shotgun Wedding" and "Marry Me." Like J Lo, Ben would have a financial interest in those films and her other projects.

The two own their house in Bev Hills, which is currently up for sale. We're told they have a $20 million mortgage on the property, and so far no one's jumping to buy it.

TMZ broke the story, J Lo filed for divorce from Ben last week, and the pair have been trying to hash out a settlement for months.

Our sources say those talks are ongoing, and they have become increasingly acrimonious -- so much so that, at times, they were not even speaking to one another.