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What Does A Divorce Judge Account For When Dividing Up Assets?

Colorado is an equitable distribution state when it comes to how property is divided up among spouses when they divorce. Unlike community property states where marital assets get split right down the middle, in an equitable distribution one like Colorado, they're instead divided up using a set criteria.

When judges are asked to divide up assets among couples in equitable distribution states, they do so by taking into account factors such as how old the two spouses are and their overall health.

The judge will also consider how long the two parties have been married and what each of them brought into the relationship in terms of education and assets when deciding how to split up property that may have been acquired during the marriage. Job prospects or the overall earning capacity each spouse may have in the future will likely weigh on a judge's decision to award property to a husband versus as wife as well.

If there are kids that have been born during the marriage, then the judge will take into account custody arrangements and use that to determine whether more assets should be allocated to one spouse versus the other.

Finally, a judge will consider the overall amount of liquid assets that the two of you share, whether they are stocks, real estate or hard cold cash. If a judge suspects that either you or your ex sought to hide assets from the other, then it's likely that he or she will penalize you financially for doing so.

If you and your ex and headed for divorce and you suspect that you'll have difficulty in reaching an agreement regarding splitting up the assets you share, then a Colorado Springs attorney can guide you in your case.

Source: Reader's Digest, "Money secrets divorce attorneys wish you knew," Lauren Cahn, accessed May 04, 2018

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