High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer

Protecting Your Property in a High Asset Divorce

mansion ownership divided in a high asset divorce lawyer

Protecting Your Property in a High Asset Divorce

Divorces that involve complex assets shouldn’t be handled like other divorces. If you have complex assets, like a family-owned business, investments, deferred stock options, intellectual property, or passive income, it is important to be represented by a law firm with experience handling high net worth divorce cases. 

Otherwise, you could face a cookie-cutter property agreement that doesn’t take your true financial picture into account.

At Kaspar & Lugay, LLP, we have extensive experience in high net worth divorces. Partner Brent Kaspar is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Partner Arvin Lugay has advised and represented some of the most prestigious financial and banking institutions in the country in high-stakes litigation.

We frequently work with high earners who have significant wealth and complex assets, and our clients include startup founders, investors, and executives. Our California law firm also partners with forensic accountants, property valuation experts, and other professionals to make sure your complex assets are protected during asset division.

Experience Forged in the Bay Area Tech Boom

Our law firm and attorneys have a strong background in the financial side of the Bay Area startup ecosystem. We combine this experience with top-tier family law representation to protect our clients’ assets, especially in matters related to ownership of restricted stock units (RSUs) and other equity considerations common to tech startups.

California Law on Asset Division

California is a community property state. Each spouse owns one-half of the property and one-half of the debt acquired during the marriage. Things become complex, however, when assets acquired before the marriage are leveraged to increase assets during the marriage, or when interest in future assets is acquired during the marriage. 

It takes an experienced lawyer to properly protect your interests and make sure that property is divided equally, all things considered.

What Assets Cause Divorce Complexities?

Many different types of assets can turn a divorce into a high net worth divorce: 

  • Primary, secondary, and vacation homes
  • Investment properties
  • Businesses
  • Stocks, including restricted stock units for early employees, executives, and founders
  • Bonds and other investments
  • 401(k)s, IRAs, pension, and retirement accounts
  • Intellectual property
  • Cars and boats
  • Horses
  • Jewelry
  • Other complex assets

How to Tell If a Spouse Is Hiding Assets

During a divorce, it’s common for spouses to lose trust in each other. It’s a good idea to collect as much financial information as possible, as early as possible. This is true whether you believe your spouse may be hiding assets or not.

If you notice large transfers of money, account values that differ significantly from what you had anticipated, or account information you do not recognize, these could be signs of hidden assets.

Contact Kaspar & Lugay, LLP, for Legal Representation

Don’t trust a high net worth divorce to just any family law attorney. To talk with one of our attorneys about your complex or high net worth divorce needs, call Kaspar & Lugay, LLP, at 415-789-5881 or send us a message. Our legal support team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Protecting your assets during a divorce — especially if you own a business, real estate, or significant investments — requires proactive legal strategy from the outset. Depending on your situation, this may involve tracing separate property, valuing complex assets accurately, negotiating strong settlement terms, or pursuing protective orders. The earlier you involve experienced legal counsel, the more options you have to shield what’s yours. At Kaspar & Lugay LLP, we specialize in high-net-worth divorce and can help you create a plan to protect your financial interests throughout the process.

If you suspect your spouse is hiding assets, it’s critical to work with a legal team that knows how to uncover them through formal discovery, subpoenas, forensic accounting, and expert investigation. California law requires full financial disclosure, and deliberately concealing assets can have serious legal consequences. At Kaspar & Lugay LLP, we have the tools and experience to identify hidden income, offshore accounts, undervalued businesses, and other concealed property — and to ensure your rights are fully protected during divorce proceedings.

California is a community property state, which generally means that any income or assets acquired during the marriage are considered jointly owned and subject to equal division in a divorce. However, there are exceptions — such as inheritances, gifts, or pre-marital assets — that may be classified as separate property if properly documented and maintained. There are also legal strategies that may help you protect certain earnings or investments, especially in complex or high-asset cases. At Kaspar & Lugay LLP, we can review your financial situation and help you assert your rights while pursuing a fair and strategic outcome.

Having a divorce attorney who’s also a CPA brings a deeper understanding of the financial complexities that often arise in high-net-worth cases. This dual expertise allows for more precise analysis of tax exposure, business valuations, asset tracing, and support calculations — all within the legal context. At Kaspar & Lugay LLP, this combined perspective enables us to offer more strategic and financially sound representation.

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  • Need Help? Call your legal support team 24/7 at 415.789.5881

Kaspar & Lugay, LLP is a family law firm with offices in Corte Madera, CA; Napa, CA; Walnut Creek, CA; and San Diego, CA. We also represent clients in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Pismo Beach, Contra Costa County, and Los Angeles. Call us at 415-789-5881.