Marital assets are items acquired during the marriage which do not meet the definition of non-marital property. High-asset divorce cases involve substantial assets and wealth. High-asset divorces, by their very nature, are frequently contentious. Substantial sums of money are involved. These unique cases require attention, commitment and experience.
The complexity of the asset division depends on the assets. High-asset cases exceed a million dollars and may include one or more of the following:
Our clients in high-asset divorce cases include, but are not limited to:
Valuing a business is a complex process. We will work to obtain the financial information for the business to assist us in our valuation. We may need to employ one or more experts to assist in valuing the business. The nature of the expertise required depends on the type of business.
Valuing real estate may require us to employ one or more experts, including an appraiser. The value of real estate today is generally greater than the value of the real estate at the time it was purchased. Valuing real estate is important to help determine equity. A spouse will likely have a marital interest in the equity.
High-asset divorce cases may involve situations where non-marital property is commingled with marital property. Individuals with substantial assets may have acquired wealth prior to the marriage. Some of that wealth may have been used as capital in acquiring one or more marital assets. Determining the contributions used to purchase the property is important.
Sometimes a spouse may not know all the assets of the marriage. Or a spouse may have intentionally kept accounts or assets secret or separate. Assets may have been transferred without a spouse’s knowledge. Discovering hidden assets becomes important to ensure that one spouse does not profit to the detriment of the other.
A court calculates child support based on the gross income of the parents. Some spouses are self-employed. A spouse may attempt to hide money within the business, particularly if large sums of money are received at any one time. A self-employed individual may utilize cash transactions to avoid disclosing or reporting income. The business may have income fluctuations depending on the type of business. Determining the earnings of a self-employed spouse requires more work than if the individual was employed by a business receiving a paycheck or a W2.
Maintenance, which some people refer to as alimony, is money paid by one spouse to another as financial support. There is often a disparity in the income between spouses in high-asset divorces; one spouse generally earns significantly more money than the other. In these situations, maintenance is frequently an issue. One spouse may need financial support to continue to meet his or her reasonable needs. Or, the higher wage earner wants to avoid paying maintenance, minimize the dollar amount to be paid, or limit the duration of the maintenance to be paid.
Spouses may have signed a prenuptial agreement before the marriage. Is the prenuptial agreement valid? A spouse may want to challenge the prenuptial agreement. Challenges to prenuptial agreements are time intensive. Such challenges may require a separate court hearing to address the validity of the prenuptial agreement.
High-asset divorce may have tax consequences. Hiring an expert may be necessary to ensure that all tax considerations have been addressed.
Mediation is a way to resolve one or more disputes without having a trial. Mediation is particularly helpful when large sums of money are involved, but it can also be used in addressing high-conflict child custody cases.
Scott is experienced in representing clients with high-value asset divorces and complex asset divisions. High-asset and complex asset divorces have unique issues. Scott has litigated, mediated and settled numerous cases involving all of these issues described above. There is no substitute for experience. Contact Scott today at (573) 821-4103 to schedule your consultation to assist you with your case.
A mother was seeking sole custody of her children following a divorce. The father refused to cooperate, leaving the client in a difficult situation as she felt as though her children didn’t have a voice. Scott recognized her need for an advocate and carefully listened to the children’s wishes, which conclusively helped the client achieve sole custody of her children and protected their best interests.
Scott assisted a defendant in a particularly challenging divorce case in which the other spouse was not cooperating. Scott was able to help the client avoid court through an aggressive legal approach to resolve all outstanding disagreements while maintaining the client’s long-term needs.
A grandparent sought visitation rights to his grandchild after the parent tried to block him. Scott takes grandparents’ rights very seriously, and so he devised a strategy to help the grandparent set a visitation schedule. Scott developed a strategy to show that the child’s best interests were fulfilled through the grandparent’s ability to visit the child, helping push the case towards a resolution in the client’s favor.
Scott was honest, he was straightforward, and the best of all he was good at what he does. He's very knowledgeable and practices his craft well. I had a 10/10 experience with Scott and will trust no other attorney to handle my case.
Scott Hamblin is a great attorney. Between Scott and his legal assistant Madasyn, I felt like all my questions were answered promptly and thoroughly. Scott is very knowledgeable and was very well prepared for trial. I would recommend Scott to anyone needing an attorney.
Can't say enough good things about Mr. Hamblin and his team. They're responsive, treat your case like it's their own, and are personable as can be. Court can be daunting, but they are there to help you through every step of the tough process. Madasyn is part of this team and deserves to be recognized…
10/10 recommend Mr. Scott Hamblin. Mr. Hamblin and his legal assistant Madasyn have been wonderful throughout my whole case and very prompt, and helpful the whole time. He was very thorough and left nothing missed during my whole case. Questions were answered quickly throughout the process whether through email, phone or in person. As well…
Scott recently provided outstanding representation for my divorce. He was well-prepared throughout the course of the litigation and trial, resulting in a very favorable outcome for me. Scott is a very bright attorney who takes pride in his work, and it shows. He is truly in a league of his own.
Scott is a phenomenal attorney, no sugar-coating straightforward and to the point. As an older man I found myself in a custody case, and had little hope of any outcomes in my favor. This guy knows his law and his business, and is about it. His personality is soothing and his office is always on…
Scott is the best attorney, hands down! My husband had a fairly difficult case, he had little hope that he’d be able to receive anything he was asking for and Scott helped him achieve everything, very quickly. He’s very professional, compassionate and understanding and works hard to help you achieve the best possible outcome. We…
Scott came highly recommended by an attorney friend of mine after I received an unfavorable outcome working with a different lawyer in the area. Scott was smart, pleasant to work with, and achieved the best possible outcome for me. I only wish I would have used him sooner.
We had a very unique case. It was confusing and complicated. Scott stepped in, helped and guided us on our journey. He was knowledgeable, professional and very honest with us. I highly recommend him if you are put in a circumstance where you need an attorney. His integrity is amazing. The entire firm was wonderful…
Scott Hamblin is reliable, trustworthy, very professional, and hardworking. I highly recommend him for any of your lawyer needs.
I have been working with Mr. Hamblin for almost one and a half years and consider him to be one of the finest Lawyers I have ever done business with. Mr. Hamblin’s understanding of Missouri law is to say the least encyclopedic. His areas of expertise are broad and far-reaching. While working with Mr. Hamblin…
Scott was efficient and knew his stuff. Very thorough and committed to our family. He had worked on two different cases for us and did an excellent job. No regrets!
Mr. Hamblin succeeded in winning a child custody modification case for me that most lawyers I spoke with wouldn't even take on. Many told me that modifying a child custody agreement was nearly impossible. Due to the changes at my children's Father's house and the toll it was taking on their mental health, my children…
Scott is a very compassionate but honest man. I have known Scott for 10+ years. I met him while fostering children with Cole County Children's Division. When he became the adoption lawyer for Cole County Children's Division in 2007 my husband and I were one of the first to use him to become adoptive parents…
Scott is a great lawyer, will do what he says! He will work his tail off for you. It was a long 2 year divorce, but I am so glad he was representing me. Very fair and doesn't overcharge for his services. I can now say he is my friend, not only my attorney.
Scott did a great job handling our custody case. He fought for us every step of the way and got things done quickly. He even refunded over half of our retainer because he got the case handled quicker than expected. I would recommend him to anyone.
Scott Hamblin is a great lawyer. He has assisted me in my divorce and custody issues over the past three years. He is easy to work with and has always kept me informed/involved in my cases, as they progress.
If I ever again need any legal advice, I will ask Scott Hamblin every time. Scott was my divorce/child custody attorney. I was extremely happy with him. He cares about his clients and always called in person. He made the almost impossible come true for me! That's how great of an attorney he is. Thank…
He went above and beyond to get me all the help legally available in each situation, and he did so with a kind and calming demeanor. His efforts also included being logical about the use of my funds in these matters. I have never before met a lawyer who gives refunds if he does not…
Scott Hamblin was originally suggested to me for adoption, but I was so impressed I also used his services for future adoptions, name changes and all family law matters since meeting him.
We were forced to hire an attorney when my childrens’ absentee father decided that he suddenly wanted to file for joint custody. After my consultation we decided Mr. Hamblin was who we needed. He was straightforward about all of the possible outcomes, and what we could and couldn’t do. He knows the law very well,…
Scott represented me on a matter that was small, but very important to me. Scott was professional, honest and informative every step of the way. Even though my case was a small one, I never felt any less than his most important client whenever we met or had court appearances. I am absolutely certain that…
Scott was a great lawyer and turned into a friend. He does everything he says he will do, and he works his tail off for you. He would call me at night, and on weekends, not a lot of lawyers will do that. My divorce took over 2 years, I am so glad I switched…
Scott is a great attorney to have on your side. He has helped my family more than I could of ever expected. Thanks again. I would recommend Scott to anyone!
Mr. Hamblin was a step ahead of my every concern. A divorce can be so scary but to be honest I didn't find myself worrying over the process. He didn't miss a detail and gave me so much confidence in his advice. He went above and beyond my expectations. His understanding made me feel like…
For accessible and experienced representation, contact attorney Scott Hamblin today.