Sometimes when facing divorce, once the parties figure out custody and parenting time issues, the remaining issues seem to take care of themselves.
However, some parties have a number of complex and difficult financial issues, like large debts, a variety of assets, or business ownership interests. Still others have accumulated unique assets like original artworks, antiques, or valuable collectibles. When financial issues can’t be decided by the parties, where do they turn?
For help in deciding complex and difficult financial issues, one option is a Financial Early Neutral Evaluation (FENE).
A FENE is held with an evaluator, someone who is a highly-skilled attorney or accountant with an extensive working knowledge of property issues addressed within Minnesota family law. These evaluators have generally worked with the courts long enough to have a very good feel for how a judge is likely to decide regarding your property issues. While your evaluator is not able to predict exactly how the judge will decide in your particular case, he or she can assist you in determining what property is marital or non-marital, give you creative options for handling various pay-outs such as spousal maintenance or the division of a 401k, and even keep you grounded when the stress of the divorce has you spending attorney’s fees to insist upon relatively worthless and easily-replaced items.
If your family law matter involves a divorce and you’re concerned about the division of assets or other financial issues, you need representation to guide you through the process.