Protecting Your Marital Assets in a Divorce
Going through a divorce is never easy. Just about everyone has heard horror stories about people losing everything after a nasty split from a spouse, but things can go bad even if a divorce is amicable. One of the reasons for this has to do with the way marital assets are divided in the state of Pennsylvania.
Ideally, marital assets should be divided fairly if you should you get divorced, but things don’t always go well in Pittsburgh family court. In order to make sure you are treated fairly, you will need to look for Pittsburgh divorce lawyers before you go to court.
What Are Marital Assets?
Marital assets refer to anything that you or your spouse acquired during your marriage. This can include your home and bank accounts, but it can also include jewelry, clothing, vehicles and any other material possessions you and your spouse might own.
The manner in which all of your marital assets are divided among you and your spouse is decided in Pittsburgh family court. Your assets may not bed divided equally, but rather in a way that the court decides is fair which is called “equitable distribution.” This is based on a number of factors that include the income and ages of both parties as well as the length of time of the marriage.
Protecting Your Assets
You should speak to a divorce attorney to make sure you have all of your bases covered. Catalog all of your belongings and your assets and go over anything about your marriage that could be used in your favor or against you. This includes your income, how long you were married and any of the circumstances that led to your divorce. Even if your divorce is 100 percent amicable and both you and your spouse agree that your marriage is over, you should still speak to a divorce attorney to ensure that you are treated fairly.
Divorce is usually seen as an ugly ending to a marriage, with bad blood between spouses ruining any chance of an amicable separation. Things don’t have to be this way, however; it is possible to remain friendly with your spouse while realizing the two of you should no longer be married. Even in these cases, it’s important to know how to protect your marital assets.
If you are thinking about or are currently facing a separation from your spouse, work alongside the divorce lawyers at Allegheny Attorneys at Law to make sure your assets are protected. Our Pittsburgh divorce attorneys can help you get through this stressful time, guiding you every step of the way to ensure your rights are protected. Call us today and schedule your free consultation to start discussing your options.