Property Division Attorneys & Lawyers

Missouri and Illinois Divorce Property Division Lawyers in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Wichita and Beyond

Because many factors are taken into account when dividing marital property, it is critical to partner with a lawyer who can professionally represent you. At Stange Law Firm, PC, we are enthusiastic about standing up for our clients. Using hard work and a dedication to justice, we focus on protecting your interests in a divorce.

Our clients include people throughout Missouri and Illinois. Our clients range from spouses and professionals who have been married for years and have significant holdings to those with shorter term marriage and less assets. Regardless of the nature or the complexity of your property, we are well-prepared to achieve the best possible results for you.

Sometimes protecting assets in a divorce is worth a very hard fight. In those cases, we do everything possible to take on the other side. Other times, the best solutions are created by spouses making decisions together, either through mediation or collaborative divorce. We frequently encourage our clients to take a more cost-effective approach by using alternative dispute resolution methods.

We can help with all aspects of property division:

Identifying marital property: Courts aim to divide marital property and debts equitably. To do this, they must first determine which property is "marital property" and which is not. Marital property is property that was acquired during the marriage, with a few exceptions such as gifts that were given only to one spouse, inheritance or things that were bought with assets obtained before the marriage.
Dividing marital property and debts: We sometimes work with knowledgeable experts who can help our clients assess their property and debts. When necessary, we can call upon our reliable network of forensic accountants, financial analysts, business valuation specialists and others who can provide testimony in support of our clients' cases. These experts help us identify separate property and trace its transformation into marital property, which is critical in cases where there has been contribution or commingling of funds.

You can also find a Property and Debt Division Worksheet online if you are looking for some help in organizing your property and debts. For more information on Illinois property division, you can read the blog, How is property divided in an Illinois divorce.

Helpful Information Regarding Property and Debt Division From our Webpage

We also have pages on numerous other topics related to property and debt division from our webpage, including the pages below and on our menu:

High Asset Divorce: If you are considering divorce and have a high net worth, it's important that you have legal counsel in your corner. It is also vital that you have an attorney that is diligent on your behalf.
Divorce Financial Planning: If you will be going through a divorce, conducting divorce financial planning can be critical to ensuring that you can move on with your life on sound financial footing.
Commingling Assets: In many divorce, parties own some assets prior to marriage and then buy additional assets after marriage. Often, these assets can end up being mixed together (or commingled). If this has happened in your case, it is important to work a diligent lawyer.
Transmutation: In some cases, a party might own certain property or assets prior to marriage. After marriage, the assets might become re-titled in joint names, which can result in the assets being transmuted into marital property. Our lawyers can help you if this is what has happened in your case.
Complex Property Distribution: In many high asset divorces, property distribution can be complex and complicated. Our attorneys can help you with difficult property distribution.
The Marital Home: The martial home can often be one of the most prized marital assets in a divorce. The marital residence can also be important as it relates to stability for children in divorce. Our lawyers can assist if this is the case for you.
Real Estate Appraisers: When residential or commercial property is owned in a divorce, ensuring that this property is properly valuated by a real estate appraisal can be critical in many cases. Our lawyer can help ensure you are refered to a competent real estate appraisal.
Trusts: Many parties have either created trusts for their family, or stand to inherit funds through a trust outside of the probate court. In many cases, this can be an important issue in a divorce in which our lawyers can help.
Inheritance: In many divorces, parties have either inherited, or stand to inherit, sums of money from their parents or other relatives. This can be a contentious issue in some cases in which our lawyers can help.
Investment Accounts: In many marriages, parties can have investments accounts where they are saving money in the hopes that they can have a better life, save for their retirement and have assets in which to provide their children and grandchildren. When a divorce takes place, it's vital that these assets be appropriately accounted for in the property division phase of a divorce.
Stocks and Bonds: Many married couples also have significant sums in stocks and bonds. It's vital to work with an attorney to have an accounting of what is out there and to ensure it is properly addressed in family court.
Life Insurance: Term life and whole life insurance policies are commonly held by parties in a marriage. When parties divorce, these life insurance policies can become critically important in terms of the possession of the policies, the beneficiaries that remain on them and who is to make the payments and/or have possession of the cash value in instance of whole life insurance.
Appreciation of Separate Property: In some dissolution of marriages, parties owned and possessed separate property prior to marriage. During the marriage, these assets can often increase in value due, in part, to the contribution of the other spouse. Our lawyers can help individuals in these instances.
Marital Debt: In many cases, debt can be a real problem as it relates to property distribution, albeit through support or marital debt. If that is the case in your divorce, our lawyers can assist.
Jumbo Mortgages: Jumbo mortgages can be an issue in some divorces. If this is the case for you, you can talk to our lawyers.
Property Issues for Unmarried Couples: For many unmarried couples, they can accumulate property and debt. When they separate, the property and debt they own together can become a contentious issue. Our lawyers can often help if this is the case through a partition action.
Quit Claim Deed: Some people wonder how to transfer title out of joint names after a divorce. Our lawyers can help explain how a Quit Claim Deed works.
Refinance: Many are not sure as well how to get a mortgage out of the names of both spouses after divorce. Find out more about refinance and divorce.
Gift Affidavits: Parties oftentimes have to transfer title to their vehicles as part of a divorce. Find out more about how gift affidavits work.
Commissioner to Sell Real Estate: Some divorcing parties are unable to work together to sell their real estate as part of the divorce. You might be interested in knowing more about the possibility of a Commissioner being appointed.

Planning Ahead for Property Division in Divorce

Divorcing couples face a major transformation as the resources that formerly supported one household must be divided to support two. If you are facing divorce, a divorce financial planner can help you make smart decisions about your finances before, during and after a divorce.

Contact a Missouri and Illinois Property Division Attorney in St. Louis (Clayton), Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Wichita and the Surrounding Areas

From our webpage, you can also read articles about family law and property division, view informational videos, seminar videos, listen to our podcast, download our mobile application or view support calculators for Missouri and Illinois.

To learn more about our approach to property division, contact us online or by phone to schedule a confidential consultation at any of our convenient locations.