Property & Asset Division Lawyers

Safeguarding Property and Investments in Divorce

When your marriage is working with no signs of any possible breakage, one may never think of how property is owned or registered. When separation creeps in, things may get murky. Division of properly is a complex activity and a known recipe for contested divorce.

That’s right, at some point you will face the need to divide the property from your marriage between you and your wife. This is usually done through a property settlement agreement, which addresses every piece of real and personal property you and your wife brought to the marriage, and acquired or developed during your marriage.

Because the amounts the two of you are dealing with could be considerable, you need to proceed carefully. Investing in an excellent attorney to protect your rights could pay off handsomely when you and your wife sit down to sign the property settlement agreement. Instead of worrying about your future, you will know exactly how everything will be divided.

Mutually Beneficial Property Division

The Firm For Men has a genuine zest for protecting Virginia men’s rights in family law issues. This extends to property settlement. Too often we have seen men resign themselves to signing away their rights in these agreements, only to regret it later.

How, for example, should your retirement funds be handled? Who benefits from a life insurance policy? What if you own a small business? Who gets future profits?

Our attorneys are seldom ruffled by unique challenges to developing a strong, mutually beneficial property division. We have seen and dealt with many situations, including questions of ownership, intellectual property, heirlooms, real estate, and much more.

The law in Virginia is not written to force an exact splitting of every stick of furniture and every financial account. No, the Code of Virginia calls for equitable division. “Equitable” means fairly, not equally. With our attorneys at your side, we will fight zealously to ensure you retain and protect as much of your earnings, property and interests as possible.

Equal Shares

Many Virginia men are proud breadwinners for their families, but at divorce, too many fail to recall their wives’ contributions to the marriage. That vacation land and home — was it her inheritance? The college fund for your children — was that started by money she brought to the marriage?

Our attorneys will scrutinize and uncover every piece of separate and jointly owned property, from financial instruments to ATVs to real estate and more. We will ferret out ownership and help you unlock your share of your wife’s contributions to your marriage.

An often-overlooked issue is a retirement account (however modest) for the lesser breadwinner, which is often the wife and mother. If your spouse had a small tax-deferred annuity, you may be entitled to a portion of that, even if it does not pay off for another twenty years. That “small amount” could really add up over time. This is why we suggest proceeding only with the expertise of highly trained attorneys at your side.

What is Property?

Most Virginians have a basic understanding of what property is, but in a legal sense, many people fail to consider all the types of property:

• Unimproved land
• Land and residences, outbuildings, storage units, workshops and garages
• Commercial real estate
• Vacation homes
• Time shares
• Recreational vehicles, boats, airplanes, drones, ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, trucks, vans and cars
• Farm equipment
• Livestock, horses, show dogs, rare and exotic pets
• Intellectual property, stock options, futures contracts
• Savings and checking accounts, Certificates of Deposit, stocks, mutual funds, bonds
• Retirement funds, pensions, 401ks, 403bs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Keogh plans
• Artwork, heirloom furniture, jewelry, rare books, autographs, fine photography
• Business ventures, store ownership, franchises, patents, royalties, commissions

At The Firm For Men we handle every aspect of equitable property division. We find out what your spouse has, we research your property, and we help the court determine who gets what. Throughout this process, we remain vigilant to your needs, desires, and rights as a man.

Debts are Property, Too!

Just as assets are equitably divided, in Virginia the debts created in a marriage are also divided. This can be a great benefit to you, as careful investigation can uncover a trail of irresponsible spending by your wife that a judge can assign exclusively to her.

Debt can come in many forms, but at The Firm For Men we know where to look:

• Unsecured (credit card) debt
• Student loans
• Mortgages and second mortgages
• Signature loans
• Automobile loans

We will not rest until we have gathered and presented evidence to assign as much of the marital debt to your wife as is fair and equitable. You should pay what you owe, yes, but no more. Your wife is responsible for her portion of the debt, and we will work hard to see that she gets it.

Uncovering Secretly Held Assets

If you haven’t experienced the process of division of property, things may seem simple. In a number of cases, however, your partner might not be willing to disclose all the assets owned under her name. She may choose not to reveal investments, cash in the bank, or even properties that form part of the marital property.

Most of the time, the focus is on the male partner forgetting about what the other spouse owns. With the help of an experienced family law attorney, the property owned by the other partner can be uncovered and everything divided accordingly.

In your case, we will uncover and monitor every detail of the property division, ensuring that everything as listed below and more are brought to account:

• Real estate (commercial and residential)
• Family ventures
• Savings and current accounts
• Protecting personal property
• Retirement accounts and pensions
• Equitable distribution of property
• Division of debt, including credit cards and loans

Military Divorce & Property Division

At The Firm For Men, our Virginia Beach and Newport News offices put us in close contact with many military men. When service members require our divorce services, we can share a lot of previous experience with these patriots to ensure your military pension, insurance and healthcare benefits are treated with the respect and care they deserve.

We are advocates for men’s rights, whether you serve our nation in the Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, Army, Navy or other uniformed service. Whether you are based in Virginia or stationed in Venezuela, we can work with you to arrange a fair and just property settlement agreement.

Choose the Attorneys Who Choose You!

Our exclusive focus at The Firm For Men, in property settlement agreements, property division, negotiations and divorce, is to protect and defend the rights of Hampton Roads’ men. We strive to help our local courts live up to the expectation of dispensing justice for all, equally and fairly.

Too often, Virginian men sign away rights in hopes of simply moving on with their lives. Then they learn, too late, that they are in serious financial jeopardy from that quick, unthinking signature. By turning to the trained, experienced lawyers at The Firm For Men, you can be counseled at every step to make the right move, at the right time, to keep what is yours.

A call to The Firm For Men at 757-383-9184, or reaching out to us online, can connect you to a Virginia attorney experienced in all aspects of family law. Property division, property settlement agreements, and divorce issues are our focus, and men’s rights are our passion. Let us help you today.