Douglas Property Division Attorney

Douglas Property Division Lawyer

One of the most difficult parts of divorce is dividing assets, no matter how many assets a couple shares. Most people accumulate property and assets during their marriage. However, when their marriage ends, it often becomes difficult to divvy up marital assets without disputes arising. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, a Douglas property division attorney can assist in making asset division easier and help ensure a fair split of assets amid divorce.

A Compassionate Family Law Firm

Kinnett & Cordes believe everyone deserves legal representation. For this reason, we offer affordable rates for family law services. We focus on family law matters only, which means we are very good at what we do. Our lawyers are experienced, well-informed, and compassionate, and we have received awards as a law firm for our standard of excellence. Our collective experience is unmatched in Jackson, as is our successful record for positive case outcomes.

What Is Property Division?

Property division is one component of divorce. When a married couple divorces, they must split the marital assets they collected during the marriage. Physical property is not necessarily the only asset that may have been accumulated during a marriage. There are other types of assets that must be split fairly as well. Not only are assets part of the property division process, but debt accumulated during the marriage must also be fairly divided.

Some common assets and debts that couples must divide include the following:

• The family home/mortgage
• Vehicle/auto loans
• Savings accounts
• Bank accounts
• Retirement accounts
• Investment accounts
• Colorado PERA retirement plans for state employees
• Jointly owned businesses
• Credit card bills
• Art and other valuables
• Collections
• Other miscellaneous household items of value

Why Hire a Property Division Lawyer?

To ensure a fair division of marital assets and debts, it can help to hire a property division lawyer. Enlisting the help of a law practice with a focus on family law and experience in property division can provide you with invaluable advice and resources. They can help you determine which assets are community property and which are separate property.

Asset Valuation

If necessary, third-party professionals, such as forensic accountants, can be brought in to assess the marital finances and evaluate all assets and debts. This is often necessary in high-asset divorces or when one spouse suspects the other spouse of hiding assets or spending marital funds behind their back.

Maintaining a Balanced Division

In many cases, the division of assets is a complicated process. It is very rare that both parties completely agree on how to divide their marital property. That is, if they agree on what is and isn’t marital property. This is due to basic human nature that compels people to ‘win’ or come out ahead, especially against someone they are at odds with.

A Douglas property division lawyer can offer suggestions for balancing out the division. For instance, in many property division cases, one spouse wants to keep the marital home, rather than sell it and divide the proceeds. A skilled attorney could work with this client to come up with a compromise that allows them to keep their home by trading off another asset to their spouse. When successful, this maintains the goal of fair and balanced division.

Who Needs a Douglas Property Division Attorney?

It is recommended that couples who have shared assets that were acquired following the date of marriage but before the date of separation should at least consult with an asset lawyer. However, some middle-class families may find, after speaking with an attorney, that they might prefer to make a compromise to save money. If a compromise can’t be made, mediation is often an effective alternative to a contested divorce that hinges on property division disputes.

If your spouse is particularly spiteful or seemingly unfair regarding assets, you may find that you need an attorney, regardless of your combined net worth. Your spouse may try to make you feel like you will get nothing or that you are owed nothing, and that’s simply not true. Colorado’s equitable distribution law ensures that marital property is divided fairly in divorce, though not necessarily equally.

Will Your Case Go to Court?

In some cases, one spouse makes it impossible to handle matters outside of court. When this occurs, the divorce case goes to trial, and a judge makes the decision of property division. Most judges will pick up on who is causing the problem, whether it be one spouse or both, and this may affect the way the court decides on the matter.

It is important to be respectful to your spouse and willing to cooperate with the court to finalize your case, even if you don’t want to be respectful or cooperative. If your case does require a court ruling, it will be heard at the Douglas County Courthouse, located at 4000 Justice Way, Suite 2009, Castle Rock, Colorado.

The Majority of Douglas Divorces Benefit From an Asset Lawyer

Douglas, located along the Front Range, just south of Denver, is a beautiful city where an estimated 365,000 people call home. In fact, as of 2024, Douglas County had the highest median household income in the state of Colorado at almost $120,000 per year. Thus, it’s safe to say that the majority of divorcing couples have enough assets or net worth together that a property division lawyer can benefit one or both of them in their efforts to move on with their lives.

Why Choose Us?

We maintain a respectful rapport with all of our clients, who describe us as kind, professional, and easy to communicate with. We take pride in these traits, as we feel customer service and legal services go hand in hand. Our lawyers take the time necessary to listen and learn about every case we take. They then take what they know about property division laws and apply it to the case circumstances, explaining everything along the way. We never rush clients out the door.

Connect With a Douglas Property Division Attorney

If you are in dispute over property division with your spouse, a Kinnett & Cordes asset lawyer has the resources you need to get your divorce finalized. Contact our offices and schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team to discuss the unique details of your case.