San Bernardino Property Division Settlement Lawyers
When a marriage ends, marital property - and marital debt - must be divided between the spouses. Many divorcing couples think the only questions to answer in order to create a property division settlement agreement are, "Who gets the house?" and "Who gets the car?" However, the marital property division settlement process is almost always more complex than that. Without advice from an experienced divorce attorney, you run the risk of accepting a property division settlement that does not serve your interests.
Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP is a family law and divorce law firm comprised of attorneys who have years of experience practicing law in the local San Bernardino and Riverside courts. From our San Bernardino office, we handle divorce cases throughout Southern California. We take a protective and forceful approach in divorce cases, using negotiation or our trial skills to ensure our clients get the best possible start on their lives after divorce.
Property Division Settlement Agreements: The Basics
California is a community property state. This means that all assets and debts acquired during the marriage will be divided equally between the spouses. Assets and debts that were acquired before the marriage will remain the separate property of the given spouse. Property division settlement agreements can be extremely creative, so long as the end result will satisfy the divorce court judge in its fair and equal distribution of property.
Complex Issues in Negotiating Property Division Settlement Agreements
The days of, "You take the house, I'll take the car," are over. Almost regardless of income level, complex financial questions will arise during the process of negotiating a marital property division settlement agreement during a divorce. Some of the questions we frequently deal with include:
- What happens to assets I owned before the marriage that I used for both our benefit during the marriage?
- What is the process for tracing property back in time to determine original ownership?
- What will be the fate of my business? Will my spouse receive any benefits from my business profits? How will I obtain a business valuation?
- How will we refinance the house so that the mortgage is no longer in both our names?
- How will we divide retirement accounts or pensions? Is there any way to get a cash payout for my share of the retirement accounts now, instead of waiting until retirement?
- I think my spouse has hidden assets or real estate from me. How can I find out what my spouse really owns?
At Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP, our divorce lawyers will provide answers to these and other questions relating to marital property settlement agreements — allowing you greater peace of mind as you embark on the process of ending your marriage.
Contact the Attorneys at Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP
When you have questions about the division of marital property, talking to an attorney is the best way to get the legal answers you need. To contact our team of attorneys at the San Bernardino, California, law offices of Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP, please call us at 909.708.4733 or 866.587.8139.
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