If you are contemplating divorce, you may be worried about the property you have accumulated during the course of your marriage. Who will get the house, the cars, the family business, investments, bank accounts and furniture? It is a fair question because you worked hard for everything you have. Whether you were the primary breadwinner or a devoted homemaker who provided your spouse with valuable support along the way, you deserve your fair share of the marital property.
Missouri is an equitable distribution state, which means the court will split the marital property between the spouses in an equitable (fair) manner. It is important to understand that equitable division does not mean it will be a 50/50 split. The court may decide that it is fair to award more marital property to one spouse than the other, depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. The court will take into consideration the economic circumstances of each spouse, child custody arrangements and the nature and extent of each spouse’s contributions to the marital property. The court may also consider the fact that one spouse has more non-marital property than the other; and evaluate each spouse’s conduct (or misconduct) during the marriage.
However, the court will not get involved in your property dispute unless you and your spouse fail or refuse to settle fairly. We are prepared to make every effort to settle your case fairly through negotiation, mediation and settlement conferences. Settlement allows you to have some control over the division of your property. But unless you settle, the court will decide how the property should be divided. And when the court decides how the property should be divided, one spouse or the other is often disappointed by the court’s decision.
Any divorce can quickly become a complicated legal matter, a life-changing event which must be handled correctly because it may affect your finances for a life-time; that is why you need powerful St. Louis divorce and family law attorneys to handle your case. We understand your worries; and our mission is to achieve the result you deserve while making the transition as low-stress as possible for you and your family.
We know divorce and family law matters are never easy. We help make your property division situation go as quickly and smoothly as possible. We are successful St. Louis property division lawyers and work with both men and women in the St. Louis area at an affordable cost.
