Divorce is never a picnic, but high-asset divorces tend to be especially complicated, riddled with conflict, and costly. A Virginia high-asset divorce is a minefield that calls for a sensitive approach and a knowledgeable legal strategy.
Let’s give a brief overview of managing high-asset divorce in VA.
Steps You Should Take as You Prepare for a High-asset Divorce
If facing a high-asset divorce, you should take the necessary steps to protect your rights and safeguard your property. As a part of your divorce plan, you should:
- Get a clear picture of your finances, including bank and investment accounts, stocks, real estate, and commercial assets. If you and your spouse own a business together, you may need a business valuation to determine how much your company is worth. You may also need to work with forensic accountants if you suspect your spouse of underhanded moves, like transferring marital assets to an offshore trust.
- Keep separate assets separate. If you hold separate property, avoid any commingling of funds that would give your spouse a financial interest in the asset. For example, if you start a business with money your family advanced, steer clear of investing money from a joint account in your company.
- Protect your children. If you have minor children, try to keep stability in their lives during divorce by negotiating with your spouse to work out a parenting plan that suits you both.
Mediation vs. Litigation in High-asset Divorces
If at all possible, try to keep your high-asset divorce from ending up in the courtroom. Mediation is your best option if you aim for a quicker, more peaceful, and less expensive divorce. You, your spouse, and your respective lawyers can meet with a neutral mediator to help you work out all the contentious divorce points, including asset division and custody.
How an Experienced Lawyer Can Help in High-asset Divorce Cases
You’ll need a skilled attorney for managing high-asset divorce in VA. While legal support is essential in all divorces, a high-net-worth divorce often involves a complex marital estate and a lot of potential conflict in negotiating issues like property division, child and spousal support, and child custody.
A divorce attorney with experience in high-asset divorces can:
- Help you track down assets your spouse tries to conceal
- Protect your interests during mediation and revise your divorce settlement
- Promote productive communication with your spouse and/or their lawyer
- Help showcase fault in a fault-based divorce
- Represent you in the courtroom if mediation fails and you end up going through a litigated divorce
DiPietro Law Group, PLLC: Helping You Navigate High-asset Divorce in Fairfax, VA
If you’re facing a high-asset divorce in Virginia, you need an experienced attorney with a solid track record of handling such cases. Our family law firm has helped many high-net-worth clients in the area of Fairfax, VA, protect their financial stability and preserve their peace of mind throughout a divorce.
Call (888) 530-4374 or contact us online for a consultation on managing high-asset divorce in VA.