An “equitable distribution” of marital assets and property is always the ideal and rarely the reality, when all is said and done in negotiations for an Arizona divorce.
The bottom line is this: when assets that each party brings into a marriage amount to apples and oranges (a vacation residence vs. ownership of a closely held family business, for example), you need an experienced family law attorney behind you who can crunch the numbers, propose the trade-offs and locate the consensus necessary to resolve your differences.
Your lawyer should also know how to advocate for a spouse’s possession of a motor vehicle, all kinds of real estate (primary residence, rental property, undeveloped land, ranch or farm, to name just a few), valuation of a co-owned family company, deferred and retirement income, a 401(k), bonds, stocks and stock options, collectibles and memberships.
Then there’s the matter of who retains ownership of the beloved family pet. Yes, there are “dogs of divorce.” Emotional attachments can make division of material possessions even tougher to accomplish, to both parties’ satisfaction.
If you suspect that your spouse is hiding assets through a co-conspiring third party or offshore account in Europe or the Caymans, you should bring that to your attorney’s attention immediately. Forensic accounting can unearth all sorts of secrets and drive any number of financial skeletons out of the closet.
A skilled divorce lawyer will also realize the importance of getting this phase of negotiations done right the first time. In the absence of an airtight prenuptial agreement, only in very special situations can agreements over assets and property be modified “down the road.”
In Gilbert, Arizona, that client-focused advocate with years of experience and a reputation for results is Steven Zachary of the Zachary Law Group. He not only believes in the ideal of equitable distribution, and in your right to protect your hard-earned investment in your marriage — but also that every problem has a solution. You can choose not to acknowledge it, you can litigate it in ways that waste your money, or you can contact Mr. Zachary’s law office today and … “Zach it.”
Call today and take your worry away. The Zachary Law Group. 480-389-3533.
