Financial & Property Law

Valuing equity-based compensation requires a sophisticated understanding of both tax law and specific plan contracts. The court characterizes these assets based on when they were earned — typically looking at the period between the date of marriage and the date of separation. 

Because the value of these assets can fluctuate wildly, we apply a rigorous level of scrutiny to the vesting schedules and performance metrics to ensure that the community and separate property components are accurately allocated and divided.

Assets owned before marriage are considered separate property, but they often become “commingled” when deposited into joint accounts or used to improve community real estate. We use a tracing process to prove the separate property source of these funds. 

By leveraging our firm’s institutional knowledge and exhaustive financial analysis, our high-asset divorce attorneys work to confirm your property rights and secure the reimbursements you are entitled to under California law.

For a prenuptial agreement to guide the division of your business or personal assets, it must meet strict California standards: it must be in writing, signed voluntarily, and notarized and accompanied by full disclosures of assets and debts.

Critically, both parties must have provided full financial disclosure of all assets and liabilities, and each spouse must have had at least seven days to review the final contract before signing. If these conditions and others are met, the agreement serves as the definitive roadmap for resolving property disputes and protecting your separate interests.

Temporary support is designed to maintain the financial status quo while the divorce is pending, often calculated using standardized software. However, permanent (or post-judgment) support is determined by a much broader set of factors under Family Code §4320, including the marital standard of living and the duration of the marriage.

In high-net-worth divorces, we go beyond simple formulas to analyze diverse revenue streams — such as deferred compensation and certain types of investment returns — to ensure the final support order reflects the true financial reality.

While California law generally dictates an equal division of assets acquired during marriage, the process is significantly more complex for high-net-worth estates involving hedge funds, private equity, or venture capital. Because these assets are often illiquid or difficult to divide physically, one spouse may be required to hold the other’s interest “in trust” until there is an exit or until the lock up period ends. 

Through exhaustive preparation and forensic expertise, our Orange County asset division divorce attorneys ensure these interests are accurately valued and that your financial interests are protected through either an equalization payment or a structured trust agreement.