Property Division
In Divorce
Most couples accumulate many things during their years of marriage. Whether you have been married a short or very long time, there will undoubtedly be a good deal of marital property to divide during your divorce. The distribution of your assets, property and debts should be done according to the laws of the State of Washington.
Washington is a community property state. All property acquired before marriage and after separation is presumed separate. Everything acquired during the marriage is presumed community property. The same is true for debts. If one spouse disputes the community classification of an item of property, he or she has to prove otherwise. Sometimes this is relatively simple, while other times it requires the work of a professional accountant to trace the source of funds used to acquire the item.
In order to ensure possessions are divided fairly, it is critical that you work with an experienced advocate who can identify all marital assets and debts. The most common types of property divided in a dissolution include the following:
- Money, generally in checking, savings or investment accounts
- The family home and other real property
- Retirement accounts, generally 401(k)s, IRAs and pensions
- Investments, generally in the form of stocks and mutual funds
- Personal property, including vehicles, household furnishings, art/antiques, etc.
The attorneys at Elise Buie Family Law Group have represented many clients with simple and complex marital estates. We have experience drafting interrogatories, conducting depositions and issuing subpoenas to determine what property needs to be divided. We collaborate with forensic accountants, business valuation experts and other professionals to find the current and future value of your assets, as well as more complex valuations.
Visit our Resources Page for a comprehensive list of documents to gather before filing for divorce.
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