Taking the Financial Sting Out of a Marital Breakup
Divorce is one of the most financially and emotionally challenging situations a person can experience. In the hands of a skilled lawyer, it can also be a chance at a fresh start in life.
I am attorney James M. Cote. I have extensive experience in working with real estate and business negotiations that I can use to help you resolve a divorce, either through a contested or uncontested proceeding.
Through my law firm, Cote Law Offices, in Peabody, Massachusetts, I can work to secure your assets, property, child custody and visitation rights, and other matters of importance. For a free consultation with a skilled Peabody divorce attorney, call me at 978-767-2933 or 866-923-2574 toll free.
Massachusetts Division of Assets and Debts
Under Massachusetts law, the assets divorcing spouses acquire during their marriage must be divided equitably. Despite this, not all assets end up evenly split between the parties. The value and type of assets, as well as the length of a marriage, can play a role in determining how the assets are apportioned.
Other factors include the conduct of each party during the marriage as well as each party's age, health, occupation, income, education, work skills, employability, income prospects and debts. If a marriage lasted fewer than 10 years, each spouse will likely keep the assets he or she acquired during the course of the marriage. Longer marriages typically end up in 50/50 asset divisions, although actually dividing the assets is usually more easily said than done.
As your lawyer, I can help you work through the complicated issues of property division, either through negotiations or in court. Among the typical marital assets that must be accounted for in a divorce are the following:
- Bank accounts
- Business assets (if unincorporated)
- Household goods
- Inheritances and gifts
- Motor vehicles
- Pensions
- Dwellings, including your marital home
- Real estate
- Retirement accounts, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s and IRAs.
- Stocks and stock options
- Trusts
As your lawyer, I can also help you identify any assets your spouse is trying to hide. It is important to bring any assets acquired during the marriage to the attention of your attorney, because once a divorce decree is final, it can be very difficult to recover anything further.
Debt in Divorce
Divorcing spouses often fail to realize that the debts they acquire during their marriage must also be divided. I can help you get to the bottom of your debt situation.
The Advantages of Negotiation Over Court | Beverly Property Division Attorney
The vast majority of Massachusetts divorces never go to trial. Instead, they are resolved through out-of-court negotiations or mediations, assisted by an attorney.
The advantages of such solutions concern cost and control. Divorcing spouses find that they spend much less money and exercise much more control over their futures if they can resolve matters out of court. Remember, if you let a judge resolve your divorce issues, you have to abide by what the judge says, not your own wishes.
Nevertheless, many divorces involve issues that spouses cannot resolve, even with the help of an attorney or mediator. If your divorce is too complicated or acrimonious to be negotiated, I will aggressively represent you in divorce court. I can also assist you in getting a legal separation in lieu or in preparation for a divorce.
Free Consultations | Peabody Divorce Attorney | 978-767-2933
To discuss your circumstances with an attorney, contact me online or call 978-767-2933 or 866-923-2574 toll free.
