High Asset Divorce

Palm Beach High Net Worth/High Asset Divorce Lawyer

If you have worked your entire life to build a successful business, professional practice or high net worth, the divorce process can unsettle your business and threaten the wealth that you have worked so hard to accumulate.  At the law offices of James S. Cunha, P.A., we understand the complications involved in a divorce involving a complex marital estate and high net worth. Our goal is to guide our clients through the divorce process in as business like a manner as possible because we believe that the assets our clients maintain following a divorce is the foundation upon which they will rebuild following the divorce process. We know that you did not spend your life building a high net worth only to have it dwindled away in contentious or unnecessary litigation.

Special Considerations in Effective Handling of a High Asset Divorce

A high net worth divorce will sometimes involve one spouse who was the primary earner and another spouse who had less involvement in the couple’s finances and less access to details regarding their marital assets. Regardless of which side you were on in this type of relationship, you face significant challenges. If you were the spouse that ran or managed a business or professional practice or the primary breadwinner, a divorce can threaten or compromise your current standard of living, undermining your business and imposing financial uncertainty about the future.  If your spouse exercised the primary responsibility for running a business and exercised management over your assets, you may find yourself at a distinct disadvantage when trying to identify and accurately value those assets. This problem is particularly acute if your spouse chooses to hide or divert marital assets in violation of your spouse’s obligation of full disclosure during the divorce process. 

Palm Beach high net worth divorce attorney James S. Cunha and his legal team understands the special challenges involved in the discovery process in a high net worth divorce.  Mr. Cunha and his firm regularly work with forensic accountants, business valuation experts, vocational evaluators and other financial experts to ensure that his clients receive a fair valuation of any business, professional practice or any other property that can be identified or deemed a marital asset, including real estate, stocks, stock options, pensions, etc. We are also aware that the more contentious your divorce the more costly the divorce process. Our firm is committed to cost-effective and efficient litigation in high net worth divorces to protect the value of your estate.

Unique Issues in Palm Beach High Asset Divorces

Despite our diligent efforts to minimize the cost of a contentious divorce, sometimes the types of issues in your divorce or lack of cooperation from your spouse makes an amicable resolution difficult. When it is necessary to litigate complex asset and debt division issues, Mr. Cunha and his firm have the resources and experience to tenaciously represent your interests in court. We engage in extensive discovery to identify hidden assets, expose unauthorized expenditures or waste, reveal all income streams and determine the appropriate valuation method for any business or sophisticated and complex asset.  Among the types of issues that often arise in a marital dissolution involving high net worth and complex assets are the following:

• Proper valuation and division of interest in a family business (Closely held business)

• Accurate valuation of complex assets like stock options

• Division of interest in a professional practice run by a spouse, such as a law practice, medical practice, or dental office

• Tracing funds from bank accounts to expose hidden assets

• Using business valuation experts to evaluate the appropriate valuation method and value of a business

• Appraising the value of rare or one-of-a-kind items such as art, collectibles and antiques

• Dividing interest in multiple real estate properties, including investment properties and vacation homes

• Tax implications of potential disposition of assets and debts

There are many issues that must be carefully evaluated prior to the distribution of assets in a high asset divorce in Palm Beach. Among the issues and facts that must be analyzed are the individual circumstances of the parties, the value and marketability of the assets and tax consequences of proposed disposition of those assets. Our experienced team at our Palm Beach high net asset divorce law firm provides the optimal fusion of experience, diligence and expertise to successfully protect our clients’ high value assets, business interests, professional practices and net worth.

Protecting the Future of High Net Worth Individuals

Mr. Cunha and his legal team understand the unique challenges involved when representing clients in high net worth divorces including professional athletes, those in the entertainment industry, those with substantial business interests and others with high net assets. We typically conduct extensive discovery and analysis of the assets in your marital estate, engage experts to obtain accurate valuations and employ effective negotiation or tenacious litigation to obtain the best possible outcome for our clients.

Your Palm Beach High Net Worth Divorce Law Firm

We are loyal and passionate about our clients’ cases and consistently seek the best possible resolution in their family law matters, including those involving high net worth divorces. We bring a substantial level of skill, knowledge and diligence along with the ability to think outside the box so that we can be the most effective advocates for our clients. Contact us today.