At the Quay Law Centre, our lawyers have extensive experience working with clients who own assets of significant value, including various business assets. We can assist our clients in achieving a fair, satisfying and expeditious property division during divorce and separation.
The new Family Law Act (FLA) reforms property division so that certain property, such as pre-relationship property and inheritances generally will not be divided up.
Family property now includes all property owned by one or both spouses at the date of separation, unless the asset is excluded, in which case only the increase in value of the asset during the relationship is divisible. Whether an asset is used for a family purpose will not be relevant if it is family property.
Property division applies to married spouses and to unmarried spouses who have lived in a marriage-like relationship for at least two years.
While the law regarding division of property is the same, no matter the size and value of your family assets, property division can be much more complicated when a couple has significant wealth and assets. Disputes over important factors like spousal support and equal or unequal division of the assets can quickly escalate.
Our experienced lawyers and network of reliable professionals can guide you through the division of complex and high-value property. We consult regularly with top financial professionals, including business valuators, pension valuators, tax lawyers and accountants. These professionals can assist in analyzing business assets, pensions and other complex property, including:
- Personal and commercial real property
- Businesses
- Financial portfolios
- Pensions and R.R.S.P. retirement savings
- Intellectual property
- Stock options
- Commissions and bonuses earned during the marriage but paid later
- Vehicles, including cars, boats and aircraft
Our complex property division lawyers regularly handle cases involving multimillion-dollar marital estates. If you or your spouse owns a business or has an interest in a business, we will work to determine if the business assets should be considered family assets. We often work with a corporate lawyer to review shares and other business assets in the context of complex asset division.
To schedule a consultation, contact Quay Law Centre at 604-527-1161. From our multiple offices, we represent clients in the Metro-Vancouver area, including Surrey, Fraser Valley, Tri-Cities, Burnaby, Kelowna, and any other area throughout British Columbia, Canada and internationally.