Posted on October 30, 2020 in High Asset Divorce

A divorce can often have a large impact on your finances. With attorney’s fees, filing fees, court costs, and the asset division process, costs can add up quickly. This is why it is so important to protect your finances during and after your divorce. Many people who are considering ending their marriage may wonder how their divorce will affect their credit score. This is especially concerning for those with high net-worth, who might be facing financial uncertainty for the first time in their lives.

Helping Your Post-Divorce Credit Rating

Having decent credit is extremely important, particularly when you are starting your new life as a single person. While getting a divorce will not automatically affect your credit score, there are ways a divorce can be detrimental to it.

Here are a few tips on protecting your credit score during and after your divorce:

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 Posted on October 23, 2020 in Complex Property Litigation

When you are in the midst of divorce, it is necessary to protect your rights from all angles, especially when it comes to finances. The lengths you go to in order to secure your financial well being and how you handle those proceedings will determine a great deal in terms of your quality of life and your overall lifestyle once the marriage has officially ended.

Why You Should be Concerned About Marital Assets

There are multiple reasons you should be aware of the possibility of hidden assets within your marriage as you undergo divorce. While it is obvious that every spouse should naturally be concerned about finances during a split, if you are not vigilant, hidden assets, in particular, can significantly affect your bank account, investments, and other financial resources after the divorce is final.

When your spouse conceals assets, it places you at risk for losing large chunks of marital property that you would otherwise be eligible to claim. This loss of property can affect everything from your day-to-day bills to your general financial stability. It can also trigger more long-lasting consequences, such as creating obstacles to your future financial plans, as retirement funds, savings accounts, and more can be affected.

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 Posted on October 16, 2020 in Family Businesses

There are multiple financial issues that will need to be addressed during a high asset divorce. Couples who have a high net worth may need to complete complex property litigation as they determine how to divide the assets they own. These concerns can be especially important for spouses who are business owners, including those who are doctors, accountants, chiropractors, or operators of other types of professional practices. In many cases, a business will represent a primary source of income for a spouse, and they will want to ensure a company or practice can continue operating successfully after their divorce is complete.

Division of Business Interests

A business will be considered part of a couple’s community property if it was founded or acquired during their marriage. If one spouse owned a business before getting married, it will usually be considered separate property. While separate property will remain under the ownership of one spouse, the other spouse may ask to be reimbursed for contributions made toward the business, including time and effort put toward building the business or marital funds that were used to pay off business debts.

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 Posted on October 09, 2020 in High Asset Divorce

It is not uncommon in marriages for one spouse to handle a majority or all of the couple’s finances while the other spouse has little to no input on these matters. Family law attorneys and psychologists have a specific term to refer to the spouse who has little say in financial matters: the “out-spouse.” When you are the out-spouse, it can be fairly easy for your partner to hide assets or other property in an attempt to keep more than his or her fair share of the marital estate during divorce. Part of the divorce process is dividing your marital assets so that you and your spouse each get your fair share. To ensure your property is divided fairly, you have to have at least some idea of what your financial situation looks like, which is rarely the case if you are an out-spouse.

The Discovery Process

If you suspect your spouse is hiding assets from you, chances are he or she will not be willing to come forward and reveal those assets and financial records willingly. During your divorce, your attorney will attempt to obtain this information through what is known as the discovery process. This process is a way that your attorney can formally ask your spouse for financial records. The court can take further action in pressuring your spouse to provide the required information if he or she remains uncooperative.

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 Posted on September 30, 2020 in Complex Property Litigation

During a high net worth divorce, couples will need to address multiple different types of assets, including financial accounts, vehicles, jewelry, furniture, valuable artwork or collectibles, and family businesses. Real estate, including the marital home, vacation homes, or commercial properties, are often among the most valuable assets owned by a couple, and complex property litigation may be needed to determine how the division of this property will be handled. During the divorce process, spouses should be sure to understand their rights regarding real estate property and the legal and financial issues that they may need to address.

Community Property Vs. Separate Property

The first thing to consider when addressing real estate is determining whether it is considered community property or separate property. Community property includes any assets acquired by either spouse during their marriage, and Texas law requires these assets to be divided equally during a divorce.

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 Posted on September 23, 2020 in Child Custody

If you are planning to end your marriage, you will need to address a wide variety of legal issues. In a contested divorce, disputes with your spouse can become highly contentious, and if you have children together, you will likely disagree about how you will share in parenting duties and divide the time that your children spend in each of your homes. If you are struggling to reach agreements about complex child custody issues, the judge in your case may decide that a child custody evaluation is needed. Depending on the circumstances of your case, either a guardian ad litem or another type of child custody evaluator may be appointed.

What Is a Guardian ad Litem?

The court may appoint a person who will represent the best interests of the child in a divorce or child custody case. In many cases, a guardian ad litem will be an attorney, but they may also be another person who has the training and experience necessary to determine what is in a child’s best interests.

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 Posted on September 16, 2020 in Spousal Support

Financial issues are likely to be a concern for anyone who is splitting up with their partner. In many high asset divorce cases, one spouse earns the majority of the family’s income, and the other spouse may be unable to make enough money to provide for their needs on their own. A spouse may ask for spousal support, which is also known as spousal maintenance or alimony, to be paid, giving them the means to pay for their ongoing expenses. However, spousal support is not awarded in every case, and spouses should be sure to understand how Texas’ divorce laws will apply in their situation.

When Is Spousal Maintenance Awarded?

The purpose of spousal support is to provide for the needs of a spouse who is unable to provide for their own minimum reasonable needs. Typically, a spouse will be eligible to receive spousal maintenance if the parties have been married for at least 10 years, and the spouse who is seeking spousal support does not currently have the means to support themselves. This will allow a spouse to receive ongoing support payments if they did not work during their marriage or relied primarily on their partner’s income to meet the family’s needs.

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 Posted on September 09, 2020 in Family Businesses

There are a variety of financial issues that may need to be addressed during a high-asset divorce, and one of the key considerations for many spouses is the possibility that their former partner may be attempting to hide assets. This is often done with the intent of influencing the property division process or to reduce the amount of spousal support or child support payments that a person would be required to make.

When spouses have a high net worth, complex property litigation may be needed to sort out multiple different types of assets and ensure that they are divided properly. Litigation may also address any attempts to conceal assets or income. Concerns about hidden assets are likely to arise if one spouse is a business owner. Some common ways that a business may be used to hide assets include:

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 Posted on August 27, 2020 in High Asset Divorce

During a high net worth divorce, you will need to address a wide variety of financial issues, and the decisions you make can have a significant impact on your finances and your ability to provide for your family in the future. As you address matters related to the division of property, spousal support, and child support, you will need to be sure to understand how these issues will affect your taxes. This will help you avoid surprises related to tax debts, unexpected tax obligations, or other concerns that could affect your financial stability. Some of the tax-related concerns that you may need to address during a high asset divorce include:

• Filing status - Once your divorce is finalized, you will no longer file taxes jointly with your spouse. However, it may be beneficial to file joint tax returns if you were still married in the year(s) before your divorce, and you may need to work with your spouse to ensure that all relevant financial issues are considered, including how you will divide any tax refunds or who will be responsible for paying taxes owed. Following your divorce, you will likely need to make a variety of adjustments when filing as a single person, and you may need to review the deductions or exemptions that you may be able to take and determine the best strategies for minimizing your tax burden.

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 Posted on August 20, 2020 in Prenuptial Agreements

If you earn a large income or own valuable assets, you will want to make sure you are financially protected if you or your spouse choose to pursue a divorce. In many cases, the best way to protect yourself from financial losses in a high net worth divorce is to make decisions ahead of time about how certain issues will be handled. A prenuptial agreement, which you and your partner can sign before getting married, will allow you to specify how you will handle the division of community property if your marriage ends, as well as other matters related to your finances.

To be valid and enforceable, a prenuptial agreement (also known as a “prenup”) must be in writing, and it must be signed before you get married. Both spouses must also provide each other with a fair and reasonable disclosure of their finances, including the property they own, the income they earn, and the debts they owe. A spouse can waive their right to receive a financial disclosure from the other party, but this waiver must be completed before the prenup is signed.

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