Divorce litigants often disagree on many things, but the valuation of major assets in the marital estate is a common cause of conflict. Of course, a variety of factors contribute to the complexity of assigning fair values, including the complexity of an asset (like...
Westport Family Law Blog
Active or passive asset appreciation in Connecticut divorce
Equitable distribution of property in a Connecticut divorce may become more complex when an asset has actively or passively appreciated in value. Related issues in Connecticut dissolution diverge from those in many other states because of the unique nature of property...
Connecticut divorce: Vintage vehicles and the marital estate
Everyone has heard about Jay Leno’s amazing, extensive classic-car collection. But Connecticut has its own prominent heritage-car collectors, including Wayne Carini and Herb Chambers. Private parties in our state also amass impressive collections of vintage or luxury...
The role of bonuses in Connecticut divorce
Many executives and professionals like lawyers, doctors, bankers, stockbrokers, directors and financial analysts receive significant bonuses, usually on an annual basis, which may even exceed their salaries. When large bonuses become a regular part of individual or...
CT divorce: Valuation of minority shares of closely held businesses
Many people in Connecticut own shares of family businesses set up to keep the entity and its profits within the family unit. Sometimes closed corporations involve small groups of friends or acquaintances as the sole shareholders, restricting business ownership...
When is a trust a marital asset subject to division in divorce?
Is a trust a “mere expectancy” as it pertains to classification of potential property interests as marital or nonmarital? If an interest is sufficiently certain and concrete, it is marital property subject to equitable distribution between divorcing litigants. If the...
Accounting for copyright interests in Connecticut divorces
Norman Lear. Charles Edward Ives. Annie Leibovitz. Michael Bolton. Stephenie Meyer. Connecticut has no shortage of accomplished artists, writers, musicians, architects, playwrights, photographers, songwriters and other creatives. And when they produce artistic works,...
A deep dive into dissipation of marital assets
Sometimes when a marriage breaks down, one spouse may unreasonably dissipate, squander or misuse marital funds or other marital assets. The actions may result in difficulties, including litigation in the division of marital property in a divorce. Legal restraint on...
Connecticut alimony: Imputing passive income to underperforming investments
In a recent post, we discussed the Connecticut court’s power to impute salary or wage income to a payor spouse in the crafting of an alimony award. This issue arises when the litigant who would pay alimony is unemployed, underemployed or overqualified for their job,...
New judicial direction on when a potential asset is a mere expectancy
On Feb. 7, 2023, the Appellate Court of Connecticut released an opinion in D.S. v. D.S. that provides new guidance for judges, lawyers and spouses contemplating whether a divorce litigant’s prospective ownership interest in property is concrete enough to classify it...