Throughout the years, we have been involved in a wide variety of cases ranging in complexity. While no two situations are alike, there are several similarities in the cases we are most likely to be involved with. If any of these resonate with you, having a financial professional as a part of your team would be very beneficial.
You have complex finances.
We would consider your financial situation more complex than most if:
• you or your spouse are self-employed or a business owner,
• together you own multiple properties or rental properties,
• you or your spouse have complicated employer benefits such as pensions, stock options, non-qualified deferred compensation, or complex bonus structures.
The above complexities may make it difficult to identify what all you own and how to value certain assets. Further, it may not be clear what you can and cannot split or the benefits associated with accepting one asset in exchange for another.
Your spouse always handled the finances.
This situation is also one of the most common among the cases we are involved with. Whether we are working as a neutral for both parties or as an advocate for one side, we tend to participate in cases where one person feels like they are at a disadvantage because they don’t understand the family finances as well as the other. In this situation, we are typically spending time with you helping collect the information for your case, then providing education as to how different assets work, the advantages and disadvantages of certain assets or investments, and providing advice as to how your settlement could be structured. When working with you in this capacity, it is our goal to help you feel confident understanding the financial side of your divorce and feel more knowledgeable about what you are negotiating for and why.
You have been married many years and are not sure what is marital property and what is not.
In long-term marriages, people typically need help untangling their financial lives after many years together. We help organize what exactly is marital property and what should be separate. For example, what if you started contributing to your retirement account several years before marriage? In this case, we would work with you to determine how much you contributed before marriage and what is the growth associated with those contributions. Another example may be if you received an inheritance during the marriage and you need to determine what of that inheritance is able to be returned to you as separate property.
We are able to help in a number of different capacities for a wide array of situations. It is our goal to help you feel more confident in the financial decisions you have to make during this process. The decisions you make now will affect you now and in the future. We are available to be by your side and make sure that your financial future apart is a bright one.
