Memphis, Tennessee Property Division Lawyer

Property Division Lawyer Memphis Tennessee

Couples getting divorced often have a wide array of concerns, and property division is almost always one of them. Contact an experienced Memphis, Tennessee property division lawyer from Rice Law today to learn more about how property division works in Tennesee divorces and how our firm can assist you through the legal process.

Property Division in Memphis, Tennessee & How a Lawyer from Our Firm Can Help

Those concerned about keeping their assets must not proceed without a competent Shelby County, Tennessee divorce lawyer on their side. Once you have an attorney, it is critical you tell him all you know about all your assets. The more your attorney knows, the more he may be able to get for you.

Marital Property Vs. Separate Property

Property includes real estate and personal property (both tangible and intangible). Property can include houses, pensions, businesses, and coin collections – almost anything. The legislature has set out criteria for property division. First, you must find and value the property (equity in the house, value of pensions, value of antique furniture, etc.). Next, you must determine whether the particular piece of property is separate property and remains with the person who owned it. Separate property is usually acquired before the marriage or outside the marriage, such as by gift or inheritance. Marital property is usually acquired during the marriage. Marital property can include increases in separate property that occurs during the marriage if your spouse contributed to its appreciation or preservation even if only indirectly.

How Courts Divide Property in a TN Divorce

To determine who gets what marital property, the court will basically consider:

  • Length of marriage;
  • Age, health, skills, and abilities of the parties;
  • Contribution to the education or to the earning power of the other;
  • Relative ability of the parties to acquire property in the future;
  • Contribution to the value of the marital property or the separate property;
  • Amount of separate property owned by each spouse;
  • Premarital property;
  • Financial conditions of each party;
  • Tax consequences;
  • Social Security benefits;
  • Allowing the custodian and children to continue to live in the home permanently or for a period of time (most often until remarriage of the custodian or until the children turn eighteen); and
  • Other factors that the court considers appropriate.

If you and your spouse can agree on how things will be divided, and if your agreement is reasonable, it will usually be approved by the court. If you cannot agree, the court will divide the property, provided you can prove or get a stipulation to one of the grounds to divorce. If you cannot agree and prove or have a stipulation to at least one of the grounds, you cannot get divorced.

Do not hide assets. These assets are usually found; if they are found, you will look like a crook to the court. The judge will have trouble believing what you say about anything after that, and the judge will have less trouble assessing attorney fees against you for your behavior.

Sometimes there are important tax issues to consider. Transfer of property (such as a bank account) from spouse to spouse during a divorce is usually not taxable, but transfer of income (for example, interest) from an asset can be taxable. Be careful about capital gains.

Under the right circumstances, the sale of a house by a couple can have an untaxed capital gain of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) or an individual seller can get half that. This may affect your decision to sell your home before the divorce (as a couple) or after the divorce (as an individual). See the taxes section below and talk to your tax advisor.

Contact a Memphis, Tennessee Property Division Lawyer

Rice Law is dedicated to fighting for our clients. Whether you’re looking to keep your home, sentimental property, or any other asset, you can rely on us to fight for you. Contact Rice Law today to schedule your initial consultation with our experienced legal team.

Read Our Latest Blog Posts