Divorce can be a financially and emotionally stressful time. This is true regardless of how much a couple’s assets are worth, especially when children are involved. However, families with unique or valuable assets do face specific issues when it comes to divorce, such as property division disputes, valuation problems, and attempts to hide assets. With this in mind, it is important for couples with business interests, complex assets, or significant financial interests to try and avoid certain pitfalls. Consulting with an experienced high asset divorce attorney can be crucial to the success of this endeavor, so if you are considering divorce and have diverse or substantial assets, you should consider contacting an experienced high asset divorce attorney for advice.

Making Emotional Decisions

One of the worst things that a divorcing couple can do is make decisions based purely on emotion. For instance, one spouse may attempt to relieve themselves of guilt for past wrongdoings by agreeing to pay more spousal support than is necessary or by giving the other party a greater share of marital property. Later, when tempers have cooled, the parties could realize that the decisions they made were not in their best interests. Unfortunately, it is often too late by this point and they will most likely be stuck with their court-ordered property settlement.

Although Bitcoin is a relatively new type of currency, it is already playing an important role in the finances of many couples. Bitcoin, which is often referred to as cryptocurrency because it has no physical form, is not controlled by any government agency but is maintained in virtual accounts. Despite these major differences between virtual and standard currency, Bitcoin can be distributed during the property division process as if it were any other asset. For help ensuring that your own virtual assets are fairly and properly divided upon divorce, please contact our high asset divorce legal team today.

What Is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is essentially a line of computer code that holds monetary value and is otherwise known as digital currency. While bitcoin can be stored offline on the owner’s computer hardware and so can be kept relatively safe, this digitization also means that it is easier for a spouse to transfer or hide them without the other spouse’s knowledge. The best way to ensure that your spouse is not hiding assets in this way is to take note of any conversions of real marital assets, like the contents of a bank account, into digital Bitcoin, which should leave a paper trail. Although it can be difficult to establish ownership of these types of assets, this is one of the most effective methods of ensuring that marital property that has been converted into digital currency will be divided appropriately.

Divorce can be expensive, especially for couples who have accumulated significant assets or are high wage earners. Fortunately, there are steps that divorcing parties can take to reduce their costs and increase the odds of reaching an amicable and fair settlement. To learn more about preparing for a high net worth divorce, please contact a Georgetown high asset divorce lawyer today.

Evaluating Your Financial Situation by Identifying All Marital Assets

Almost any type of property that has value can be considered an asset when it comes to dissolving a marriage, so divorcing couples should keep this in mind when listing all property and debts and include not only real estate, vehicles, and business interests, but also:

Although in many cases it is impossible for divorcing couples to work out their issues in an out of court setting, a large percentage of families are able to come to an agreement regarding custody or property division through mediation. The benefits of mediation are even more important in high asset divorces where the possession of unique assets, such as business interests, valuable personal possessions, and real estate are at issue. To learn more about mediation and whether it is right for you, please contact one of our dedicated high asset divorce lawyers today.

The Mediation Process

The mediation process is overseen by a neutral third party, or mediator, who is tasked with hearing the parties’ issues and concerns and then facilitating negotiation, with the final goal of reaching a settlement that both parties voluntarily agree to. Although the parties will prepare for mediation as though they were going to trial by compiling financial records, lists of assets, and appraisals, the similarities end here, as mediations are non-adversarial. Furthermore, unlike a trial, communications that take place during mediation will remain confidential. In fact, if a mediation fails, mediators are not allowed to testify about anything that was discussed during the meetings at trial.

High asset divorces are not only complicated because the property that must be divided is valuable, but also because the assets are often difficult to value or to distribute. For instance, it is not uncommon for Texas couples to invest in local operations that are involved in the production of oil, gas, and minerals. While these investments can be extremely valuable, they are also hard to distribute in the event that a couple decides to divorce. If you or your spouse own an interest in an oil, gas, or mineral business and are thinking about dissolving your marriage, you may be facing unique issues when it comes to dividing your assets. Please contact an experienced Cedar Park high asset divorce attorney to learn more about your legal options.

Dividing Assets Equitably

Texas is a community property state, which means that all of a couple’s marital assets must be divided equitably upon divorce. While this usually involves dividing bank account funds, the family home, and retirement funds, it applies equally to unique assets, such as oil, gas, and mineral interests. These types of interests are considered real property and as such, are governed by the same property division principles as any other type of real estate. For this reason, a party can only retain sole ownership of this type of interest, if he or she can prove that the asset qualifies as separate property, which means that he or she:

Divorce proceedings can be time-consuming and emotional, so many couples breathe a sigh of relief when they are able to successfully negotiate a settlement out of court. Unfortunately, just because parties have agreed to a settlement, does not mean that the other party will comply with its terms. This is especially true in cases where a settlement is the result of a court order and not negotiations between the parties. A failure to abide by a settlement agreement can have devastating consequences, particularly when high assets are involved, as one party’s intransigence could lead to significant assets being tied up and made inaccessible for years. This, in turn, can make it difficult to make ends meet, pay bills, and generally, move on with your life, so if your former spouse is defying all or part of your divorce settlement agreement, it is critical to speak with an experienced high asset divorce attorney who can help ensure that the terms of your agreement are respected.

The Terms of a High Asset Divorce Settlement

While some former spouses may refuse to comply with a court order out of bitterness, most are simply unable to do so. This is especially common when it comes to a failure to pay child support or alimony and the non-paying party was recently let go or fired from his or her job. Alternatively, a party could be failing to comply with a custody order because his or her work schedule conflicts with that arrangement, or because he or she is struggling with health issues. Whatever the reason, in these cases, it is up to that party to seek a modification of the order. Otherwise, they will be subject to the legal repercussions of failing to comply with the terms of a court order.

Couples with significant or diverse assets are often forced to grapple with legal issues that don’t apply in most divorce cases. This can make the divorce process not only more complicated, but also more acrimonious, especially when it comes to valuing the family home, so if you are thinking about filing for divorce and have substantial real estate holdings, you should consider contacting an experienced Round Rock high asset divorce attorney who can ensure that your property is appraised by a qualified expert.

Comparable Sales

For a marital estate to be fairly divided, the value of a couple’s property must be accurately assessed. When it comes to real estate, this usually means that the parties will need to hire an appraiser who can estimate value based on current market conditions and recent sales of comparable properties in the area. When dealing with especially valuable properties, the appraisal process also often includes consideration of additional features of the property in question, which could make it more valuable than other similar properties. Unfortunately, valuing the unique features of a property can be a subjective process. For example, one appraiser may include the value of a swimming pool or a four car garage, but fail to take note of marble countertops or custom kitchen appliances during the appraisal process. For this reason, most couples going through a high asset divorce are encouraged to obtain multiple appraisals to ensure that an accurate number is reached.

Although filing for divorce is a stressful time, it is still important that those who have decided to dissolve their marriage take certain initial steps. For instance, the parties involved will still need to pay household expenses, care for children, and perhaps relocate. Failing to address these issues early on can add more tension to an already stressful situation, which is why Texas family courts are often asked to step in and issue temporary orders before any actual divorce proceedings take place. For help representing your own interests in a petition regarding temporary divorce orders, please contact one of our experienced Georgetown high asset divorce attorneys for advice.

The Importance of Temporary Orders

When a couple decides to get divorced, it is often in their best interest to request a hearing for temporary orders. As their name suggests, these types of orders aren’t necessarily the ones that will remain in place when a divorce is finalized. Instead, their purpose is to provide a quick resolution to important issues until divorce proceedings actually begin. In high asset divorce cases, these orders are especially important because they could have a significant bearing on a series of critical issues, including: