Various factors can affect the outcome of high-asset divorces, especially since they involve more complicated issues than traditional ones. One of these factors is the spouses’ lifestyle during the marriage.
Connecting lifestyle and divorce aspects
While this is not always the case, the spouses’ standard of living during the marriage can affect the results of certain divorce aspects, such as child custody, property division and support determinations.
For instance, courts can consider lifestyle when determining spousal support and its terms. This is to ensure that after the divorce, the unemployed or less earning spouse can maintain a standard of living reasonably comparable to the one they enjoyed during the marriage. This helps address the financial disparity between the spouses, especially when one may have sacrificed their career for the family.
During property division, courts can consider lifestyle to achieve a fair distribution of marital property according to the state’s applicable property division rules. Considering lifestyle helps in fairly dividing luxury items, investments and similar properties that were part of the spouses’ marriage.
Lifestyle can also have a potential impact on child custody and visitation decisions. Courts can consider the parties’ standard of living to ensure the final arrangement meets the child’s best interests. This includes maintaining a stable environment as close as possible to what the child was used to before the divorce.
Working towards a comfortable life after divorce
Lifestyle considerations can be material in ensuring fair settlements in divorce. Courts can use this factor to achieve fair asset division, appropriate spousal support and suitable child custody arrangements. By considering lifestyle and other relevant factors during divorce, parties can aim for an outcome that reflects the family’s accustomed way of living.
