American Canyon High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer

Divorce is already a complicated process. Both sides work to untangle their lives from one another and split shared property and debts appropriately. Divorce becomes more complex when a marriage involves a high net worth, typically involving millions of dollars in assets. For divorcees in American Canyon who need to handle these complex divorces, an American Canyon high net worth divorce lawyer is a great way to get legal advice.

Hayes Family Law has served the people of Napa County and Solano County for over a decade. Our team is dedicated to family law matters like divorce, child custody, and property division. We work hard to deliver an amicable outcome and divide assets accordingly. We assist divorcees through mediation and litigation, tailoring our service to suit each client’s unique needs.

A high net worth divorce is defined by the value of the divorcing parties’ total assets. Anything above a million dollars is considered a high net worth. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that about 6 out of every 1,000 Californians were divorced in 2024. With the median price of a California home alone in 2024 totaling $877,285, that means many divorces in areas like American Canyon could be considered high net worth divorces.

When splitting assets in a California divorce, a couple must first distinguish between their community property and their separate property. Community property includes the assets each person obtained during the marriage, while separate property includes the assets from before and after the marriage. Assets include both property and debts. Property is anything that has value and can be bought or sold, such as a car, furniture, or a house.

During a divorce, each spouse is allowed to keep all their separate property and must split all community property evenly with the other spouse. Distinguishing between the two types of property can be tricky, though. Many assets have murky origins or could be considered both separate and community property. A skilled high net worth divorce attorney, like those at Hayes Family Law, can help couples reach a fair resolution.

As you prepare for your high net value divorce, you should look over your finances and begin marking what you believe to be separate and community property. If your spouse is amicable, you can work through finances with them.

If an asset cannot be easily categorized into one of the two categories of property (for example, if one of you made a down payment on your shared house), it can be critical to speak to a high net worth divorce lawyer. An experienced attorney can better analyze each asset and check over your work. Hiring an attorney can help you retain your assets, even when there is confusion about which category the property belongs in.

Both mediation and litigation can be effective ways to sort through a divorce. Whether you have a high net worth or not, your decision should be based on what works well for both you and your spouse. If you both are cooperative and communicate well, mediation may suit you.

Mediation offers a private, cost-effective path to ending a marriage amicably. During mediation, you and your spouse work with a neutral mediator to come to a fair settlement. Mediation can help preserve relationships, allow for flexibility, and speed up the divorce process, as it does not require as much interaction with the courts. Hayes Family Law can represent you during mediation and explain your position to the mediator and your spouse.

If your divorce is contentious or involves domestic violence, litigation is likely the better option for you. American Canyon residents can attend a family law hearing at the Historic Courthouse of Napa County, located at 825 Brown Street, Napa, California. An attorney from Hayes Family Law can represent your high net worth divorce case in court and support you and your family throughout litigation.

How Much Money Do I Need for My Divorce to be Considered a High Net Worth Divorce?

In order for your divorce to be considered a high net worth divorce in California, you typically need to have combined assets with your spouse totaling at least a million dollars. California’s high net worth divorce law splits assets obtained during the marriage equally between both partners. However, as this can get complex with more assets, hiring a high net worth divorce attorney is a wise decision.

What Assets Are Untouchable During a Divorce in California?

If you have separate assets at the time of your divorce in California, those assets are not split between you and your spouse. Separate assets include property, debts, and other items of value obtained by you before and after your marriage. These assets cannot be shared. Divorce instead shares community assets, which are assets obtained during your marriage, belonging to both partners.

How Do California Divorce Lawyers Price Their Services?

There are a few different ways California divorce lawyers can price their services. Many work on hourly fees totaling a few hundred dollars per hour. Others ask for a retainer, which is an immediate payment for services. When a divorce is uncontested, an attorney may offer a flat fee, which is often less expensive than a retainer. To determine the exact cost of a divorce attorney, schedule a consultation.

Why Is Moving Out During a Divorce a Bad Idea?

Moving out of the marital home in the middle of a divorce can make it harder to divide assets or custody between spouses. If you leave your home, you likely won’t retain it after the divorce. Leaving any children you may share with your spouse in the home can also push judges to side with your spouse in custody agreements.

When you have a lot of high-value assets to split during a divorce, it’s time to hire a high net worth divorce lawyer. Hayes Family Law is eager to serve the people of American Canyon and Napa County as a whole. If you’re interested in hiring our services, schedule a consultation with us today.