Redwood City High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer

Are you looking for a high net worth divorce lawyer in Redwood City, CA?

At Schank Family Law, we are trusted high net worth divorce lawyers serving clients across Redwood City for over 20 years.

If you and your spouse in Redwood City have accumulated significant assets and are discussing a settlement, have each asset valued before you agree to a division. An offer that seems even on paper can leave one spouse with far less once taxes, debt, and the true value of each holding are counted.

Since 2003, Schank Family Law has focused only on family cases, and our San Jose office serves spouses in Redwood City and across the Peninsula. Our Redwood City, CA high net worth divorce lawyer represents spouses on either side of a high-asset case, from negotiation through trial. Request a free case evaluation to talk through a proposed settlement.

High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer Redwood City, CA

A high net worth divorce lawyer represents spouses whose estates include substantial real estate, investments, business interests, retirement savings, or income. The added difficulty in these cases comes from scale and variety. A Redwood City couple might own a residence, an investment property, brokerage accounts, retirement plans, and an interest in a closely held company, and each one has its own records, valuation method, and tax consequences that a settlement must account for.

Median gross rent in Redwood City was $2,968 per month during 2020 through 2024, as reported in Census QuickFacts. Housing costs at that level make real estate equity and rental income significant parts of many local estates, alongside investment and retirement holdings.

Types of High Net Worth Divorce Cases We Handle in Redwood City

A Redwood City high net worth divorce attorney from our firm represents spouses in each of the following matters.

• Real estate. Residences and investment properties may each combine separate and community funds. We review purchase records, refinances, and loan histories to calculate each spouse’s share.
• Business interests. A company owned by either spouse must be valued and either divided or offset. We work with valuation professionals and review the business’s financial records.
• Equity compensation. Stock options and restricted stock awarded during the marriage may vest after separation. We allocate each award between the community and the employee spouse.
• Investment portfolios. Brokerage and managed accounts can hold assets acquired at different times with different funds. We trace account activity to confirm what is community and what is separate.
• Retirement plans. Benefits accrued between the wedding and separation belong to the community even when only one spouse participated in the plan. We coordinate division with a QDRO attorney when a plan order is required.
• Trusts. Assets held in a family trust may be community, separate, or a mix of both. We review the trust documents and funding history before any asset is classified, because placing property in a trust does not by itself change whether it is community or separate.
• Spousal support. Bonuses, rental income, and investment returns all affect the support calculation. We reconstruct the income actually available to each spouse, using several years of tax returns and account statements rather than a single year.
• Child support. High-income households may exceed guideline needs, and either parent can address that with evidence of the children’s actual expenses.
• Debt and liabilities. Mortgages, credit lines, and tax obligations must be assigned along with the assets. We negotiate terms that release a spouse from liability when an asset is transferred.

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

Support and Asset Results Built on Financial Records

Our attorneys obtained more than $60,000 per month in temporary spousal support in one case, a result that depended on documenting the household’s full income and lifestyle. The firm negotiated custody, visitation, and child support in a case involving MLB and NFL players, and represented business owners earning seven figures with operations in the United States, China, and India. Each of those matters required tracing income through multiple entities and accounts, and we represent the spouse who manages the finances as well as the spouse who has been kept away from the records.

Legal Training, Bar Admission, and a Single Focus

Christian Schank earned his J.D. from the University of La Verne College of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of California in June 2003, the year he founded the firm. He has held Lead Counsel Verified status for family law since 2015, and the firm handles family law exclusively. Each high net worth divorce lawyer at our firm handles Peninsula cases from our San Jose office.

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

What Is The High Net Worth Divorce Case Timeline?

Redwood City divorces are filed with the Superior Court of San Mateo County, and valuation adds time to the standard sequence.

1. One spouse files and serves the petition, and either spouse can request temporary support and orders about managing shared assets.
2. Both spouses exchange financial disclosures listing every asset, debt, and source of income.
3. Appraisers value real estate and businesses, and forensic accountants trace the funds used to acquire each asset.
4. The parties negotiate which assets each spouse keeps, which are sold, and how offsets are calculated, often through mediation or a settlement conference.
5. Remaining issues are tried, and the court enters a judgment dividing the estate and setting support.

A mandatory waiting period applies before the marriage ends, and recording deeds and transferring accounts after judgment completes the division. Settlements that pay one spouse over time call for creatively drafted security provisions, and presenting organized evidence at contested hearings helps you persuade the judge on valuation disputes.

Grounds for Divorce and Property Division in California

• Community property is divided equally. Property acquired during the marriage and before separation is generally community property, whatever the name on the title or account.
• Separate property must be traced. A spouse claiming that an asset is separate must show it was owned before marriage, received by gift or inheritance, or bought with separate funds. Commingled accounts and refinances make that proof harder. A Redwood City high net worth divorce lawyer often has to rebuild account histories from bank and escrow records that are many years old, so requests for those records should go out early in the case.
• Premarital agreements can change the default. A valid premarital agreement may keep certain assets separate, and the agreement’s terms are reviewed before any property is characterized.
• Support depends on real income. Long-term spousal support turns on factors such as the marital standard of living and each spouse’s earning capacity, and these support factors apply to investment and rental income as they do to wages.
• Divorce is no-fault. Either spouse can end the marriage without proving wrongdoing, and the broader property and support framework governs the rest of the case.

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

• Transfers between spouses avoid reassessment. Property transferred between spouses under a divorce settlement or court order is excluded from reassessment, so the spouse who keeps real estate generally keeps its existing tax base.
• Embedded taxes change real value. Two assets with equal balances can leave a spouse with very different after-tax results because of deferred gain and depreciation, so settlements should compare net value.
• Assessed values tell part of the story. The county’s online property tax records show assessed values for each parcel, which help confirm ownership and acquisition history but rarely reflect market value.
• Protecting assets starts early. Automatic orders take effect when the case is filed, and planning for protecting your assets before that point helps preserve a business and its value.
• Children need a separate plan. Custody is decided on the children’s best interest rather than on the size of the estate, and avoiding common custody misconceptions keeps the parenting plan from becoming a bargaining point.

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

High-asset cases depend on records that span years, often held by lenders, employers, and financial institutions.

• Deeds and closing statements for every property
• Loan statements and refinance records
• Bank, brokerage, and retirement account statements
• Equity grant agreements and recent pay records
• Business tax returns and ownership documents
• Trust documents and any premarital or postmarital agreement
• Full personal tax returns for the past several years

At the consultation, a Redwood City, CA high net worth divorce lawyer reviews your records, explains how each asset may be characterized and valued, and outlines a plan for tracing and appraisal. If your spouse manages the finances, we explain how records can be subpoenaed from banks, lenders, and employers. Even a partial list of accounts and properties is enough to begin building the inventory of the estate.

Redwood City Family Court and Local Resources

Redwood City divorces are heard at the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, where the court’s Self-Help Center on the sixth floor offers free help with divorce, support, and custody forms to people without attorneys. The family law clerk’s office is on the first floor of the same building and accepts in-person visits by appointment only.

San Mateo County’s law library at 710 Hamilton Street, a few blocks from the courthouse, offers legal research resources and hosts Community Law Night sessions that include family law. Spouses preparing for a consultation can use it to review court forms and background materials before meeting with counsel.

Reach Out to Schank Family Law to Schedule a Consultation

A Redwood City high net worth divorce attorney from our firm can help you trace, value, and divide the marital estate while protecting your share. Start with a free case evaluation, during which an intake specialist reviews your situation and decides whether a consultation with an attorney should follow. Contact us to request yours.