Asset Protection Attorney in Texas

The Sisemore Law Firm, P.C., offers a broad range of services to high-net-worth individuals seeking to protect vital assets during a divorce, as well as those who wish to enter into a new marriage with a properly written premarital agreement. We believe that those who have worked hard to obtain personal and financial success deserve the highest quality legal counsel to help ensure that their wealth is protected at every stage of their lives.

If asset protection from spouse is important to you, it’s critical to consult a knowledgeable Texas property division attorney for advice. We can help!

Want to discuss your goals and options now? We invite you to schedule a case consultation with a divorce and asset protection attorney in Texas at the Sisemore Law Firm. You can call (817) 336-4444 for additional information or schedule an appointment online.

Texas Divorce Lawyers Helping Clients Protect Real Estate, 401(k)s, IRAs, Pensions and Other Assets

Our clients have obtained success in a broad range of fields, including business, real estate, entertainment, professional sports, industry, medicine and other professions. Many own assets that reflect their success and are eager to protect those assets during a divorce. Every divorce and asset protection attorney at our firm takes pride in helping our clients retain maximum interest in the assets they have worked hard to acquire and maintain, including:

• Multiple residences, vacation homes, ranches, acreage and other real estate investments
• Stocks, bonds and other investment accounts
• Individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
• 401(k) retirement plans
• Military retirement benefits
• Trusts
• Pensions
• Professional practices
• Family businesses and related assets and income
• Business executive income
• Livestock, exotic animals and beloved family pets
• Valuable works of art and antiques

Many of these same assets are at the forefront of our clients’ minds when they are entering into a new marriage. If you need insight from a divorce and marital assets lawyer, we can assist in the drafting of prenuptial (premarital) agreements, as well as postnuptial agreements, to provide you with peace of mind regarding how important assets and investments will be treated should a marriage end in divorce.

No prenup and divorce imminent? Hire an experienced asset protection attorney in Texas

Many people don’t think it’s necessary to hire an asset protection lawyer to draft a premarital agreement before getting married, so the first time people usually think about how to protect their wealth is when the marriage is already headed for divorce. That’s why it is critical to hire an experienced asset protection attorney in Texas when divorce is imminent and a complex marital estate is at stake. With nearly 20 years of experience in the Texas courts, the Sisemore Law Firm offers the expertise affluent individuals need to ensure assets are protected in the event of divorce.

Determining the valuation of the varied assets in a complex marital estate is also critical during the divorce process. To ensure businesses, property and other assets are properly evaluated, our firm regularly engages top tracing and valuation experts to assist with high-net-worth and complex property division divorce cases.

Over the years, our Fort Worth law firm has developed relationships with some of the best tracing and valuation experts in our region. Highly qualified experts are few and far between in Texas, so we make sure to retain the services of experts we trust in the early stages of the divorce process. The right (or wrong) expert can make or break a divorce settlement, so it’s important to be proactive when sizable assets are on the chopping block in a divorce case.

Pre- and Post-Marital Agreements Help Simplify Division of Property in the Event of Divorce

Being proactive about asset protection with a premarital or postnuptial agreement is essential for high-net-worth individuals because Texas is a community property state. That means any assets you accumulate during your marriage will be subject to just and right division should you decide to divorce.

Conversely, assets accumulated prior to marriage are typically considered separate property, which means those assets remain yours upon divorce. However, it is important to note that any income generated from separate property assets can be considered community property.

This is why it’s critical to keep a detailed record of separate property in your prenuptial agreement (premarital agreement) or a post-marital agreement to avoid confusion or comingling later. In a prenup or postnup, you can also address any income related to the separate property you own—for example, rental income from a commercial building, which may be considered community property.

Community property also includes assets accumulated in any retirement accounts (IRAs, pensions, 401ks, 403bs, etc.) from date of marriage to date of divorce. Should you and your spouse agree, you could ask your Texas retirement division lawyer to stipulate in a prenuptial agreement whether or not those assets remain with the respective party in the event of divorce.

Unfortunately, many people don’t even realize that retirement accounts are subject to division upon divorce in Texas. This misconception often leads people (with or without a prenup or postnup) to forgo the task of comparing the value of a spouse’s retirement accounts to their own.

Without the insight of an experienced Texas retirement division attorney, unwitting parties may agree to walk away with their respective retirement accounts and end up leaving a significant amount of money on the table. The knowledgeable Texas retirement division lawyers at the Sisemore Law Firm make a point to educate clients about all aspects of property division when preparing for divorce, including retirement accounts.

Our Experienced Divorce Attorneys Help Protect Trusts and Family Legacies 

Think your trust is ironclad? Not so fast. If you’re contemplating divorce or entering a marriage with trust from a legal settlement or as a “trust fund baby” it’s important to speak with a knowledgeable divorce and asset protection attorney in Texas. He or she can determine whether assets and/or income related to those trusts may be subject to division in the event of divorce.

Don’t assume that your spouse can’t lay claim to assets in a trust simply because it was established prior to marriage. When the trust was established, the type of trust, how the trust was categorized, who has control over the trust and what the trust owns all come into play when determining what if any portion of the trust would qualify as community property in the event of divorce.

Our Fort Worth law firm has been preparing premarital (prenuptial) and postnuptial agreements and handling divorces involving trusts since 2007. We can review your and/or your spouse’s trusts and help you determine how assets and income related to those trusts would be treated upon divorce.

Contact Sisemore Law Firm, P.C.

Our divorce attorneys, retirement lawyers and family business lawyers offer a confidential consultation for you to begin the process of developing your strategy for protecting your assets during a divorce. Contact our firm by calling (817) 336-4444. With offices located near the Tarrant County family courthouse in Fort Worth, we offer additional convenience for our family law clients.