Family Lawyer

You need a forensic accountant in divorce when your spouse controls the finances, owns a business, shows lifestyle-income discrepancies, or you suspect hidden assets. Courts require forensic accountants to uncover concealed income, trace dissipated funds, value complex holdings, and reconstruct financial records in divorces involving self-employment, cryptocurrency, offshore accounts, or sudden pre-filing income drops—with penalties…

In most US divorces, the party who hires the forensic accountant pays their fees initially, but courts frequently order cost-sharing or shift 100% of expenses to the opposing spouse based on income disparity, financial misconduct, or case outcome. Courts across all 50 states possess statutory authority under family law codes to allocate expert costs as…

You can technically sell your business before filing for divorce, but the proceeds remain marital property subject to division, and selling to avoid property division constitutes fraudulent transfer. Once divorce proceedings begin, automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROs) prohibit selling without court approval or spouse consent. Courts scrutinize pre-divorce sales timing and can reverse transactions, impose…

No, you don’t automatically own your spouse’s business simply because you’re married. Legal ownership belongs to the person whose name is on the business documents. However, you may have a claim to the business’s value during divorce if it’s classified as marital property—which depends on when it was created, whether marital funds were invested, and…

Trust protection from divorce depends on trust type, creation timing, and control level. Irrevocable trusts created before marriage with independent trustees generally receive protection, while revocable trusts are typically treated as marital assets. Courts examine whether the beneficiary controls distributions, whether marital funds were used, and whether the trust was created to defraud a spouse….

An LLC can be treated as marital property subject to division if formed during marriage or funded with marital assets. Courts classify LLC interests as marital or separate property based on formation timing, funding sources, and spouse contributions. Even pre-marriage LLCs can become marital property if marital funds were invested or the non-owner spouse contributed…

In most US states, cats are legally treated as personal property during divorce, similar to furniture or vehicles. However, ten states—Alaska, California, Illinois, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington DC, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Washington—now authorize courts to consider the cat’s wellbeing when determining custody. Courts evaluate who was the primary caregiver, who paid for…