Northern Virginia Divorce and Property Division Attorney
What most intelligent, educated, reasonable people think is “mine,” versus “his” or “hers” or “marital,” is, well, usually wrong under the Virginia law that governs division of property. If you are divorcing and you want to ensure fair property division, contact Alexandria's Christian Curtis, LLC.
Christian Curtis, LLC | 703-879-7729 | E-mail
Property division is one of the most challenging aspects of divorce for most couples. Unless there was a premarital agreement, deciding upon a property settlement can be difficult. If you are considering a divorce, it is important to take time to inventory your assets and liabilities. You simply cannot make informed choices without adequate information.
There are several things to keep in mind as you begin to document your assets and liabilities. First, you should make a detailed list of your possessions, real property, investments, pensions and retirement accounts, bank accounts and debts. Next, you need to specify the date each item was acquired and determine as best you can the value or balance of each item as of the date it was acquired, the value or balance on the date of marriage (if applicable), the value or balance on the date of separation (if applicable), and the current value. For purposes of estimating, you can use tax assessments, internet sources, bank statements, receipts, mortgage statements, HUD-1 forms used for real estate purchases, credit card statements, and the like.
Equipped with this information, we will be able to get a fairly accurate idea of the total worth of the marital estate and what needs to be done to divide it. And we will need to make our findings transparent to the opposing party, for the more reliable the information, the more trust will be established during the negotiating process. And if you can settle out of court, you will save almost incalculable amounts of money. Some folks try to get clever and “hide the ball.” Get rid of such notions now. It would be unethical professionally and personally for me to help anyone do such a thing. Besides, odds are it would come around to hurt you.
A depressed economy will affect the monetary value of your assets.
During poor economic times, the value of your assets will almost certainly diminish. To determine current values of property and possessions, I can call on professional colleagues such as appraisers and accountants. By working with financial experts, it is easier to achieve a fair and accurate property division.
The state of the economy can also impact additional components of divorce including support amounts. As your lawyer, I will look at all sources of income for both parents as well as the cost of living, marital debts and other factors to make sure we include everything that can benefit you.
Contact Christian Curtis, LLC for answers to property division questions.
If you are in need of family law services for anything from divorce to child support to protective orders, contact Christian Curtis, LLC today for an honest assessment of your situation. Send me an e-mail or call my office at 703-879-7729.
