When it comes to matters of property division, some people have it easier than others. But even if you believe your situation to be relatively simple, you may find that this is not the case as you make your way through the process and begin to review your many assets and debts. High net worth divorces, in particular, often lead to property division challenges. These need to be addressed without delay, ensuring that both parties understand what’s to happen and how it will impact them now and in the future. Here are some of the items that can make property division more complex: — Business ownership. — Real estate, including vacation homes. — Stock options and bonds. — Bank accounts and bonuses. — Retirement funds, including military pay, IRAs, and pensions among other types. — Antiques and collectibles, such as sports memorabilia and art. Before anything can be done, you and your spouse must have an accurate idea of your net worth. From there, it is easier to move forward with property division, although there are sure to be some “sticking points” along the way. Due to all the challenges valuing the items detailed above, it’s important to work side by side with an experienced law firm. We have helped many people work through property division, eventually ending up in a place they are comfortable. If you have any questions about property division, if you want to learn more about your situation, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can do

The United States lacks a uniform law regarding what is to be done with engagement rings during a divorce. While there are more expensive assets, rings can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Additionally, because of what they symbolize, they can often be points of contention during the property division process. Since there is no set law, courts consider many different factors. They tend to look at engagement rings in one of two ways, which are as follows: 1. The ring was an absolute gift. In these cases, the court determines that you decided to present the other person with the gift, and it then became your spouse’s possession. You gave up all rights to it at that point, and you can’t ask for it back because ownership was transferred. 2. The ring was a conditional gift. In these cases, the court may decide that you only gave the ring as a gift with a condition, which you stated at the time when asking your spouse to marry you. If your spouse is now breaking off that marriage, you may be able to argue that the condition was broken and so the gift should go back to you; it was only to belong to your spouse as long as the marriage lasted. Now, there are other factors and stances to be considered, such as whether or not fraud was involved—if someone said “yes” to the proposal just to take the ring, planning all along to ask for