Tag Archives: community property
Why Choose Legal Separation Instead of Divorce?
Divorce is not the only option for married couples with irreconcilable differences. Another choice is legal separation, which allows for spouses to live apart under a court decree that governs their financial and parenting obligations. However, the spouses remain legally married in all other respects. There are varied reasons why some couples find this a […]
Dividing Retirement Benefits in an Arizona Divorce
For many Americans, retirement accounts — such as a pension, IRA or 401k — make up a significant portion of their assets and are vital to maintaining their standard of living in later years. If you are married, however, your retirement accounts are not necessarily yours alone. They may be considered as part of the […]
How Community Property Law Can Make One Spouse Liable for the Other’s Debts
When people talk about divorce, they usually understand that each former spouse is likely to walk away from the marriage with a share of the assets, whether it’s half or some other percentage. But what may not be discussed as much is the fact that the couple’s debts also go through the division process, so […]
Understanding the Benefits and Limits of a Prenuptial Agreement
Nobody likes to think about divorce when starting a marriage, but it is a realistic possibility that must be considered. Many couples marry later in life after having accumulated some wealth and after having children from a prior marriage. Entering into a prenuptial agreement is a way to plan for an orderly disposition of property […]
Pros and Cons of Prenuptial Agreements
For every article in popular media that focuses on the negative aspects of prenuptial agreements, another one is published that theorizes they make marriages stronger. Still others say prenups are a sign that you and your spouse-to-be simply don’t have enough trust to survive a long marriage. Whether or not a prenuptial agreement is to […]
How Retirement Benefits Are Divided in a Divorce
Arizona is a community property state, where all assets acquired during a marriage are generally considered the joint property of both spouses, to be divided equally upon divorce. That concept may seem pretty straightforward, but some assets present troublesome wrinkles. Retirement and pension accounts, for example, are properties for which mishandled division can have […]
Organize Your Finances for a Simpler Divorce
Even amicable divorces can run into unexpected snags, commonly over financial issues. Among the major tasks in any divorce is determining what property is part of the marital estate and assessing its value. Sometimes disputes are unavoidable, but there are things you can do to help smooth the process at the onset. Discovery of assets […]
What a Prenuptial Agreement Means for Marriage and Divorce
A prenuptial agreement may seem antithetical to what marriage is supposed to be about: love and commitment. But having an agreement in place serves a salutary purpose: deciding in advance how the couple’s financial affairs will be settled should the marriage end in divorce. A prenuptial agreement is a contract between parties intending marriage, outlining […]
