The phrase "community property state" describes the way property is defined and divided during divorce. You will likely hear the phrase often during the process of dissolving your marriage. This term refers to you and your spouse's equal, undivided interests in and to all of your marital property. All property accumulated by either spouse…
A forensic accountant sounds like a character in one of the CSI series to most people. However, they are increasingly used by couples with considerable assets who divorce. These accountants can help determine exactly what assets a spouse has — both personal and business. A forensic accountant can determine exactly what investments, collectibles, retirement…
With the high cost of real estate in California, many residents decide to downsize after a divorce. The family residence can be too costly and difficult to maintain on one income. That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to opt for an apartment or condo after they split up. A smaller residence means less…
When people talk about marital property, which will need to be divided when you get divorced in California, they often talk about it in a very general sense. Anything that was purchased or acquired during the marriage is marital property, no matter who bought it, who used it, or who thought of it as…
The latest celebrity split is no doubt one that makes a lot of people sad. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck announced that they are divorcing after 10 years of marriage. Sources say that the split is amicable and that the Hollywood power couple, who has three children between the ages of 3 and 9…
Divorce can have a significant impact on your finances, including your retirement goals. Despite your retirement plans, getting divorced will result in your retirement assets getting divided according to California laws. The thought of splitting your retirement assets with your soon-to-be ex can be difficult to accept. However, understanding how your assets will be…
All property division cases are different. Marital property acquired early in a marriage has a different significance than property obtained later on. More importantly, we sometimes wrongly take for granted that certain type of property is not subject to property division conducted throughout a divorce. This includes artwork that one spouse or the other…
Unless you’re a huge basketball fan, chances are you were like a lot of Americans who had no idea who Donald Sterling was until quite recently when tapes were leaked to the press containing audio of Sterling making racist comments. The scandal turned into what could only be called a media circus, ultimately costing…
Has your spouse recently become concerned about your finances even though nothing has changed for years? Or has your spouse started asking you to keep a detailed list of everything you buy? If you said yes, then you will want to keep reading because some financial experts believe these behaviors, among a few others,…
There are two things that most people consider to be a constant when divorce enters the mix: 1) that the separation process will more than likely turn contentious at some point and 2) that is could take years before a divorce is finalized. For a lot of our California readers, these two factors are…
