Couples who have accumulated relatively significant wealth tend to enjoy a more comfortable standard of living during marriage. They may also have a more challenging process ahead if they eventually divorce. Complex divorces involving high-value marital estates often require precision when reviewing the marital estate and extensive efforts to establish fair terms when negotiating a property division settlement.
Spouses often disagree about what is the most equitable or fair way to divide their property. They may also disagree about what assets are marital and which ones are separate property. In some cases, there may even be disputes about what individual assets are worth. The three types of assets below can be particularly challenging for people to address in an Indiana divorce, partially because their value can be difficult to establish.
Real estate
Real property includes the home where people raised their children together, the vacation home where they spent their summers and investment properties acquired to sell later. The price that people paid for the home is often outdated. Having an appraiser inspect the property or consulting with a licensed real estate agent may be necessary to establish an appropriate fair market value for someone’s real estate holdings prior to an Indiana divorce.
Business holdings
Some people work in highly-educated professions that require state licensing. They may establish an independent professional practice to work as their own bosses. Other people start a business or take over a family company. It can be very difficult to establish a reasonable business valuation, as there are many different ways to estimate what a company might be worth. People sometimes require professional assistance when establishing a company’s value as part of a divorce.
Niche personal property
Perhaps someone has purchased and repaired a classic car every few years throughout the marriage. Maybe they have a taste for fine art and have numerous paintings or sculptures. Even designer wardrobes can be worth thousands of dollars and may require professional assistance to properly value.
Obtaining support when valuing assets can help divorcing Indiana spouses to better ensure that they receive a fair portion of their overall marital estate, even if they have no interest in retaining certain resources. Those who are pragmatic about their approach to Indiana divorces are in strong positions to secure the best possible outcomes.