Married couples preparing for divorce typically have a stressful road ahead. They either need to negotiate solutions with one another or prepare to present their side of the situation to a family law judge in court.
Property division matters often make people very anxious and can prompt inappropriate behavior in some cases. Certain marital assets are far more likely than others to provoke conflict between divorcing spouses. Anyone who shares one or more of the assets mentioned below with a spouse may need to prepare for property division proceedings with particular care.
A marital home
If there is one asset that spouses tend to focus on more than any other, it is likely the house where they live together. Frequently, divorcing couples have a hard time agreeing about who should stay in the family home at the end of a marriage. They may even end up fighting over how much the home is worth when dividing other property. Not everyone is in a position to stay in their marital home after a divorce. Thinking carefully about one’s income and credit score can help people determine if they are in a position to continue staying in the marital home.
Retirement savings and pensions
Higher-value assets are often what lead to disputes between divorcing spouses. Retirement accounts and pensions can sometimes rival the marital home in terms of overall financial value. People often try to have seven figures set aside by the time they are ready to stop working full-time. Pensions and retirement accounts also have emotional worth because they represent someone’s prior economic sacrifices or commitment to their career, as well as their future financial stability. Many couples preparing for divorce have to think carefully about how to address retirement resources.
Household pets
Unlike the home where people live and the retirement savings they have accumulated, a pet is unlikely to represent much financial value. Even purebred cats and dogs or higher-value animals, like horses, are usually only worth a few thousand dollars. Unfortunately, the courts typically treat pets like property when their emotional value is what actually complicates the divorce process. People who have spent years loving and caring for a companion animal don’t want to give up their access to that pet.
Recognizing which resources may inspire divorce conflicts can help spouses prepare for their divorce process more effectively. Assets with significant emotional or financial value often demand special consideration during divorce negotiations or preparation for family court.