Asset Division & Equitable Distribution Attorney in Bergen County

Consult with Our Divorce Attorneys to Protect Your Assets

New Jersey divorces include a division of marital property, that is, all assets which you may have acquired during the course of your marriage. The State will endeavor to distribute your property fairly, under the guidelines of “equitable distribution,” if the task cannot be accomplished by you and your spouse or by mediation or a collaborative process.

Property may include financial accounts, personal property, the value of a business you or your spouse may have, or even a medical practice. If you are facing a divorce and need to know how your property will be divided, our divorce attorneys in Bergen County understand how to protect your rights while keeping you fully informed throughout the entire divorce process.

Look to Sherwood, Johnson & Poles to handle all the complexities associated with a divorce, including the asset division phase. Our Bergen County family law firm has combined more than 25 years of combined experience and are members of several organizations including the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators and the New Jersey State Bar Association, and Bergen County Bar Association. Our firm has all the tools to represent you in your divorce and obtain the outcome you desire.

We frequently handle high-net worth cases involving business and / or medical practice valuations. We also provide tailored information for executives regarding bonuses, deferred compensation, stock options, and more.

How Is Equitable Distribution Managed?

When dividing the marital estate, Courts are not interested in who is at fault for the divorce in most cases. Instead, Courts weigh a variety of factors to decide how best to divide the property.

Such equitable distribution factors used in dividing assets include:

• The length of the marriage
• Any written prenuptial or postnuptial agreements
• The spouse’s overall economic circumstances
• The spouse’s income and earning capacity
• Each spouse’s health, emotional and physical, and their age
• The present value of all property
• Tax consequences of the division
• Any present or future need for a medical or educational trust for either spouse of a child

It is up to the Judge to evaluate how much weight to give any individual factor, however the length of your marriages, contributions, the need for you and your spouse to support children of your marriage, and your marital lifestyle are most important to the determination.

Related Resources

• BLOG: What You Need to Know About Divorce If You Have Children with Special Needs

We Work to Get You the Property You Deserve

In most cases, property is valued by using its fair market value which is the amount you could sell the asset for today. If necessary, our skilled lawyers can obtain outside help from real estate or business appraisers to ascertain the values of property to be distributed. We also may propose that you utilize a forensic accountant to find the value of businesses and other assets, and actuaries to value pensions.

Asset division can be especially contentious in a divorce, which means you need reliable representation who will ensure you are being treated fairly. We consistently uphold our client’s rights when their finances are on the line. You worked hard for your property so let us maximize your entitlement!