Orange County High Net-Worth Divorce Lawyers
High Net-Worth Divorce Attorney in Orange County, CA
Orange County Trial Lawyers have provided legal assistance to numerous clients throughout the Orange County area for several years. Orange County Trial Lawyers and other staff members of Orange County Trial Lawyers have developed a strong reputation as experienced family law and corporate law attorneys in the area. Orange County Trial Lawyers are knowledgeable about the various issues that are involved in a high net-worth divorce and will use their knowledge to assist you in formulating an equitable dissolution of your marriage.
Community Property and a High Net-Worth Divorce in Orange County, CA
One of the most important aspects of a high net-worth divorce is the distribution of separate and community property. California is a community property state, meaning that all of the income and debts that have been accumulated during the marriage belong equally to both spouses. This rule applies even if income was kept in a separate banking account. The first step of a high net-worth divorce is to complete a Schedule of Assets and Debts. All of the separate and community property must be listed, along with the value of the item. Having various items assessed and adding these assessments or appraisals with your list of assets and debts can assist in determining the value of the items and fairly distributing them among you and your spouse. Pension plans and other types of retirement accounts that can include large values of financial products must often be joined as a party in the divorce. Your spouse may be entitled to one-half of the value. Businesses that are owned by one of the spouses may also be divided during the divorce proceedings. If your spouse signed a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, we will seek to enforce this agreement during the divorce proceedings. Whether you are a spouse who wants to seek the maximum settlement possible or you want to protect your net worth, Orange County Trial Lawyers can assist you.
Children and a High Net-Worth Divorce in Orange County, CA
During the divorce proceedings, the court will make important decisions regarding every aspect of your life. In addition to dividing your property, the court will:
• Award custody to one or both of the parties
• Award visitation
• Assign child support
• Assign spousal support
Child support and spousal support awards can be quite sizeable when you have a high net-worth. Even if the majority of your funds are tied up in assets, such as property, high-ticket items and financial products, California courts have allowed a deviation from the standard formula in calculating the appropriate amount of support when one of the spouses owned many assets. When one spouse has a high net-worth, it is common for the other spouse to be the primary caretaker. This relationship and additional amount of time with the children are factors that the court will consider when determining what is in the best interest of the children.
Assistance from a High Net-Worth Divorce Lawyer in Orange County, CA
A high net-worth divorce often involves a long and stressful process in which the values of assets are disputed, custody issues become heated and accusations of hidden assets are frequent.
