diff --git a/hcl/pos.go b/hcl/pos.go
index 39c183f..1a4b329 100644
--- a/hcl/pos.go
+++ b/hcl/pos.go
@@ -231,3 +231,32 @@ func (r Range) Overlap(other Range) Range {
 		End:      end,
 	}
 }
+
+// PartitionAround finds the portion of the given range that overlaps with
+// the reciever and returns three ranges: the portion of the reciever that
+// precedes the overlap, the overlap itself, and then the portion of the
+// reciever that comes after the overlap.
+//
+// If the two ranges do not overlap then all three returned ranges are empty.
+//
+// If the given range aligns with or extends beyond either extent of the
+// reciever then the corresponding outer range will be empty.
+func (r Range) PartitionAround(other Range) (before, overlap, after Range) {
+	overlap = r.Overlap(other)
+	if overlap.Empty() {
+		return overlap, overlap, overlap
+	}
+
+	before = Range{
+		Filename: r.Filename,
+		Start:    r.Start,
+		End:      overlap.Start,
+	}
+	after = Range{
+		Filename: r.Filename,
+		Start:    overlap.End,
+		End:      r.End,
+	}
+
+	return before, overlap, after
+}
diff --git a/hcl/pos_test.go b/hcl/pos_test.go
index 32ad116..cfa4137 100644
--- a/hcl/pos_test.go
+++ b/hcl/pos_test.go
@@ -307,6 +307,138 @@ func TestPosOverlap(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRangePartitionAround(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		Outer       Range
+		Inner       Range
+		WantBefore  Range
+		WantOverlap Range
+		WantAfter   Range
+	}{
+		{
+			Range{ //   ##
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ //  ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ // (empty)
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+			},
+			Range{ //   ##
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ // (empty)
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Range{ // ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 0, Line: 1, Column: 1},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ //  ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ // #
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 0, Line: 1, Column: 1},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+			},
+			Range{ //  ###
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ // (empty)
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Range{ //   ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ //  ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ //  (empty)
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+			},
+			Range{ //   ###
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ //      #
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			Range{ //  ####
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+			Range{ //   ##
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ //  #
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 1, Line: 1, Column: 2},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+			},
+			Range{ //   ##
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 2, Line: 1, Column: 3},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+			},
+			Range{ //     #
+				Start: Pos{Byte: 4, Line: 1, Column: 5},
+				End:   Pos{Byte: 5, Line: 1, Column: 6},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s around %s", test.Outer, test.Inner), func(t *testing.T) {
+			gotBefore, gotOverlap, gotAfter := test.Outer.PartitionAround(test.Inner)
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotBefore, test.WantBefore) {
+				t.Errorf(
+					"wrong before\nA   : %-10s %s\nB   : %-10s %s\ngot : %-10s %s\nwant: %-10s %s",
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Outer), test.Outer,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Inner), test.Inner,
+					visRangeOffsets(gotBefore), gotBefore,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.WantBefore), test.WantBefore,
+				)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotOverlap, test.WantOverlap) {
+				t.Errorf(
+					"wrong overlap\nA   : %-10s %s\nB   : %-10s %s\ngot : %-10s %s\nwant: %-10s %s",
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Outer), test.Outer,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Inner), test.Inner,
+					visRangeOffsets(gotOverlap), gotOverlap,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.WantOverlap), test.WantOverlap,
+				)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotAfter, test.WantAfter) {
+				t.Errorf(
+					"wrong after\nA   : %-10s %s\nB   : %-10s %s\ngot : %-10s %s\nwant: %-10s %s",
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Outer), test.Outer,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.Inner), test.Inner,
+					visRangeOffsets(gotAfter), gotAfter,
+					visRangeOffsets(test.WantAfter), test.WantAfter,
+				)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // visRangeOffsets is a helper that produces a visual representation of the
 // start and end byte offsets of the given range, which can then be stacked
 // with the same for other ranges to more easily see how the ranges relate