Asset Protection Lawyer in Colorado Springs

Facing a high-asset divorce? Get a free consultation with asset protection lawyer Bryson Perkins to protect your assets.

Who Gets What in a Divorce in Colorado Springs?

You Need a Family Law Attorney.

Are you looking for an asset protection lawyer in Colorado Springs? Are significant assets and property involved? If yes, contact us to schedule a free consultation with an asset protection lawyer at Perkins Law who will protect your rights and your assets.

Click to schedule a free consultation with a Colorado Springs family lawyer.

Why You Need an Attorney to Protect Your Assets

According to Justia.com, asset protection planning is a method used to shield assets that would otherwise be susceptible to legal judgments or claims by creditors or former spouses. Just as the physical and emotional separation involved in a divorce can be taxing, so too can the process of separating the property and assets a couple acquired during their marriage.

If the parties can’t reach an agreement as to the division and distribution of their property, the Colorado Springs courts will do so for them. The law governing property and asset division in Colorado is often complicated. Disputes over property can be contentious, requiring a Colorado Springs divorce attorney who fully understands the principles that determine who gets what when a marriage ends.

What is Property Division in Colorado?

When the property is divided in a Colorado divorce, the first step is determining what assets are “marital property” and which are “separate property.” Only marital property is subject to division and distribution in a divorce.

Generally, separate property is those assets each spouse had at the time they got married, as well as property one spouse obtained by gift or inheritance during the marriage.

Marital property is whatever was acquired during the course of the marriage, including the increase in value or appreciation of separate property during the marriage.

“Equitable Distribution” of Marital Property in Colorado

Marital property in a Colorado divorce is divided by using a legal principle known as “equitable distribution.” However, “equitable” does not necessarily mean “equal.” Rather than simply dividing property 50/50, Colorado courts will consider a number of factors in determining how to fairly and equitably distribute a couple’s property.

Specifically, the following considerations go into a judge’s determination as to how property is to be divided between the spouses:

The contribution of each spouse to the acquisition of the marital property, including the contribution of a spouse as homemaker;
The value of the property given to each spouse in the property award;
The economic circumstances of each spouse at the time the division of property is to become effective, including the desirability of awarding the family home or the right to live therein for reasonable periods to the spouse with whom any children reside the majority of the time; and
Any increases or decreases in the value of the separate property of the spouse during the marriage or the depletion of the separate property for marital purposes.

One factor Colorado Springs courts will not consider as part of the analysis is marital misconduct.

How is the Marital Home Divided?

For many, if not most couples, their home is the single largest asset they own, and one that is often of great emotional value in addition to economic value.

In dividing the value of a marital home, a Colorado court will attempt to determine the amount of equity in the property. The court will divide that amount between the parties, with adjustments and buyouts made if the home is to be retained by one of the spouses. The equity is the market value of the home minus any liabilities against the property, such as a mortgage, taxes, or home equity loans.

Equity in a marital home can be divided into one of three primary ways:

The spouses sell the home and divide the proceeds;
One spouse retains ownership, refinances the home, and “buys out” the other party; or
When children are involved, the custodial parent remains in the home with the exclusive use and possession for a certain period of time (until the kids go off to college, for example), then either can buy out the other spouse or sell the home and divide the proceeds.

What can make asset division even more complex are issues relating to the proper valuation of property, the allocation of debts and liabilities, and providing for the distribution of such assets as pensions, retirement accounts, profit-sharing plans, and the like.

Protecting Your Interests In Divorce Proceedings

Ensuring that each spouse receives a fair distribution of marital property that reflects the proper value of that property and complies with the law is a task that no one going through a divorce should attempt without sound legal guidance. Always seek counsel from an experienced Colorado asset protection lawyer.

The top-rated attorneys at Perkins Law will protect your rights, advise you of your options, and fight for your financial freedom and your future at every step.