Los Angeles High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer

Are you looking for a high net worth divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, CA?

At Schank Family Law, we are serving clients in Los Angeles high net worth divorce matters with decades of combined legal experience.

If you are preparing to file for divorce in Los Angeles and your household holds significant assets, start by gathering the records that show what you and your spouse own and owe. A complete record at the outset shortens the disclosure stage and gives you a clear basis for negotiation.

Schank Family Law has handled family law cases since 2003 and serves Los Angeles County through an office in West Covina. Our Los Angeles, CA high net worth divorce lawyer represents spouses on either side of a high-asset case, whether they earned most of the wealth or depend on it. Request a free case evaluation to discuss your case.

High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer Los Angeles, CA

A high net worth divorce lawyer represents spouses whose estates include significant income, investments, real estate, business interests, or retirement savings. The legal rules are the same as in any California divorce, but applying them takes more work. Assets may be held in trusts, partnerships, or corporations, income may arrive through distributions and bonuses rather than salary, and both spouses may disagree about what each asset is worth.

Only 36.0% of Los Angeles housing units were owner-occupied during 2020 through 2024, the Census QuickFacts profile shows. For many high-earning couples here, wealth sits in investment accounts, business entities, and other holdings rather than in a single family home.

Types of High Net Worth Divorce Cases We Handle in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles high net worth divorce attorney from our firm can represent spouses in each of the following matters.

• Property division. Every asset acquired during the marriage must be identified, valued, and divided or offset. We separate community holdings from premarital and inherited property through account tracing.
• Business owner divorce. A company, partnership, or professional corporation may be the largest asset in the estate, and its value often depends on records that only the owner spouse controls. We address valuation, owner compensation, and whether the business should be divided or bought out.
• Spousal support. Support in high-income cases depends on the lifestyle the couple shared and the income actually available. We present multi-year income histories when earnings vary from one year to the next.
• Child support. Guideline amounts can exceed what children reasonably need when a parent earns a high income. We present evidence of the children’s actual expenses on either side of that question.
• Child custody. Demanding careers and frequent travel require parenting plans with workable terms. We build schedules that keep both parents involved and hold up over time.
• Pension division. Pension and retirement benefits earned during the marriage are community property. We negotiate their division and refer clients to a QDRO attorney when a plan order is needed.
• Equity compensation. Stock options and restricted stock units granted during the marriage may vest after separation. We allocate each grant between the community and the employee spouse.
• Intellectual property. Copyrights, royalties, and trademarks created during the marriage are generally community property. We identify each income stream and negotiate how future payments are shared.
• Privacy protection. Divorce filings are generally public records. We use confidential settlement terms and redaction to limit what becomes public.

Why Choose Schank Family Law as My High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA?

High-Profile Clients and Contested Support Awards

The firm negotiated custody, visitation, and child support in a case involving MLB and NFL players, where public attention and high earnings shaped every term. Our attorneys obtained $22,000 per month in temporary spousal support for the wife of a prominent trucking company owner and more than $60,000 per month in another case. Those matters required reconstructing income from contracts, distributions, and business records before support could be set. Each high net worth divorce lawyer at our firm keeps client matters discreet throughout negotiation and litigation, using confidential settlement discussions whenever the facts allow.

A Founder With Business Training and Two Decades of Results

Christian Schank holds a business management degree from the BYU Marriott School of Business and has held Lead Counsel Verified status for family law since 2015. He founded the firm in 2003, and it has handled family law exclusively for more than 20 years. Clients who need a divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, CA for a complex estate work with attorneys from our West Covina office in Los Angeles County.

What Is Important To Understand About High Net Worth Divorce Cases?

What Should You Bring to Your High Net Worth Divorce Consultation?

High-asset cases are built on documents, and the records you gather early decide how quickly the estate can be valued.

• Personal tax returns for the past several years, with all schedules
• Bank, brokerage, and retirement account statements
• Deeds, mortgage statements, and leases for every property
• Business tax returns, financial statements, and ownership agreements
• Employment agreements, bonus statements, and equity grant documents
• Trust documents and any prenuptial or postnuptial agreement

At the consultation, a Los Angeles high net worth divorce attorney reviews your records, explains how each asset and income stream may be treated, and outlines a plan for disclosure and valuation. If your spouse has managed the finances, we explain how missing records can be obtained during the case. A Los Angeles, CA high net worth divorce lawyer can also subpoena records directly from banks, employers, and accountants when a spouse will not produce them.

Grounds for Divorce and Property Division in California

California is a community property state, and no-fault rules mean a spouse can end the marriage without proving misconduct by the other. Property acquired during the marriage and before separation is generally divided equally, while property owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance stays separate. The rules for splitting marital property apply to every asset, from a home to a stake in a private company.

Separate property can lose its character when it is mixed with community funds. A premarital account that received marital deposits, or a separately owned home paid down with marital income, may carry a community interest that has to be calculated. Tracing records decide those disputes, and the spouse claiming separate ownership usually bears the burden of proof. A Los Angeles high net worth divorce attorney gathers bank statements, closing documents, and account histories early, because older records can take months to obtain from financial institutions.

Spousal support is decided separately from property. Temporary support uses a common formula, while long-term support turns on factors such as the marital standard of living, the length of the marriage, and each spouse’s earning capacity, and the court’s support factors guide explains how judges weigh them. Child support follows a statewide guideline based on income and parenting time, though the court can depart from it when the guideline amount exceeds the children’s needs.

What Is The High Net Worth Divorce Case Timeline?

Los Angeles high net worth divorces follow the county’s standard sequence, though complex assets add time at the valuation stage.

1. One spouse files and serves the petition, and either party may request temporary support and custody orders.
2. Both spouses exchange financial disclosures, including the Declaration of Disclosure and supporting records.
3. Forensic accountants and appraisers analyze businesses, real estate, and investment holdings.
4. The parties negotiate, often through mediation, where mediation and representation can work together to keep financial details out of open court.
5. Remaining issues proceed to trial, and the court enters a judgment.

The judgment cannot end the marriage until a mandatory waiting period has run, and property issues often take longer than that period. Settlements that divide future income or deferred payments often require detailed terms, and creatively drafted agreements prevent disputes years later.

What Are Important Aspects of a High Net Worth Divorce Case?

• Accurate valuation. Businesses, real estate, and private investments rarely have a single agreed value, and the date chosen for valuation can change the result. Each spouse may retain an appraiser, and the court weighs the competing reports.
• Hidden or moved assets. Transfers to relatives, new accounts, and unusual spending near separation can signal concealment. Courts can order an accounting and award an offset when community funds were wasted, and discovery tools such as subpoenas and depositions help uncover where the money went.
• Tax consequences. Retirement accounts, appreciated stock, and real estate carry different tax burdens, so two assets with the same balance may not have the same value after taxes.
• Business continuity. Companies need to keep operating while the case is pending, and planning for protecting the business starts before filing.
• Privacy protections. Court rules require parties to redact financial account numbers in filings, and confidential settlement terms can keep other financial details out of the public record.

Los Angeles Family Court and Local Resources

Divorces filed by City of Los Angeles residents are commonly heard in the Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street. The county’s Family Law Facilitator offers free help to people with family law cases filed in Los Angeles County, and the court’s custody evaluations office conducts evaluations when judges order them in contested custody cases.

Spouses who operate a business in the city can confirm its registration through the City of Los Angeles business tax registration system, which requires a certificate for anyone conducting business activities in the city.

Reach Out to Schank Family Law to Schedule a Consultation

A Los Angeles high net worth divorce lawyer from our firm can help you value the estate accurately, secure fair support, and keep your finances as private as the law allows. Your case starts with a free case evaluation, in which an intake specialist gathers the key facts and determines whether a consultation with an attorney is the right next step. Contact us to request yours.