A marital dissolution
can be the most difficult time in a person's life.
They're also one of the most important times. Your
financial future or your children's future may depend on
the outcome of an Oregon divorce.
A divorce can feel
like your world is ending and the uncertainty of the
future can be unsettling at best and terrifying at worst.
Getting answers from an experienced Oregon divorce lawyer
goes a long way in allowing you to prepare for the
future.
Settlement vs. Trial
Typically the best
result for a client in an Oregon divorce is to settle the
case amicably with a result he or she can live with. That
is our goal in every case.
However, our
attorneys actually try cases, so we know what the likely
range of outcomes are in a given case. Before
hiring an lawyer, quiz them as to how many trials their
firm's family law lawyers try each month. Without
constantly being in the courtroom, it is difficult for an
attorney to tell you what spousal support might, for
instance. How will you know if a settlement offer is
acceptable unless your attorney knows what would likely
happen at trial?
Given the
consequences of a divorce case, you not only need an
experienced Oregon family law attorney on
your side, but you need an experienced Lane County trial
lawyer. Our lawyers know family law and know the
courtroom. In fact, Arnold Law Office's managing partner,
Jacy
Arnold, was rated one of the
best Oregon family law lawyers under the age of 40.
[Click here to meet
our legal team.]
All Oregon divorce cases are different. However,
we know what Lane County judges and other Oregon courts
do in a case like yours, because we've tried many cases.
Consequently, we know the likely outcomes of your
situation if your dissolution case goes to trial in Lane
County.
We will not hesitate
to give you the straight truth about what an Oregon court
would likely do in a case like yours. We do not advise
you to take your case to trial just for the sake of
additional attorney fees. Based on our attorneys'
collective experience, we advise you of what we think the
possible Lane County trial outcomes are and the estimated
likelihood of each possible outcome. It is up to you to
decide whether or not to take your divorce case to trial.
Oregon
Spousal Support: Will I receive or have to pay it?
Oregon does not have
any set statutory guidelines for spousal support amounts
but does have different types of spousal support
allowable. Generally, the circumstances where support may
be appropriate are guided by case law. Spousal support
awards vary quite a bit among the different Lane County
judges. Our attorneys try lots of Oregon divorce cases,
so we can advise you on the risks and benefits to
litigating or settling a spousal support issue with your
spouse.
Complex Assets
Divorce
Many dissolutions of
marriage or domestic partnership involve complex assets,
such as retirement accounts, closely held corporations,
or cash-based income. These issues are ripe for
inequitable outcomes between the parties. To ensure
a fair result, your attorney must be experienced in
dealing with voluminous records and mysterious bank
transactions. This requires an attention to detail
and an eye for inconsistencies in the bank records. Our
attorneys have experience litigating complex asset
divorce cases as well as complex commercial litigation in Oregon.
Commonly hidden or
forgotten assets include the following:
Frequent flyer mileage: usually there's a monthly
accounting of these. To obtain a value, contact
the airline to see what destination you can
purchase and compare that to values you can book
independently online.
Security deposits (e.g., utilities, car lease)
Bond or deposit for country club
Unused vacation, sick leave
Patents, copyrights, royalties
Income tax capital loss carry-forwards
Income tax charitable contribution carry-forwards
Marketable government licenses (radio licenses,
rafting/river licenses, commercial fishing
quotas)
Hobby or other collections
Affiliation rewards programs (e.g.,
points or discounts for credit card use)
Entertainment tickets, season ticket options
Business vehicle for personal use
Prepaid rent, leases, subscriptions
Burial plots
Life insurance cash surrender value (or perhaps
death benefit if insured is elderly)
Tort, workers comp claims, particularly if
they involve lost wages
Hangar lease (for aircraft)
Hotel or credit card points
Cash and precious metals (gold and silver)
Hidden value items - rare items of
personal property (e.g., antiques), rare pets,
collectibles
Options to purchase property
Unpaid commissions on deals set to close
Referral fees (e.g., for personal injury
lawyers): when divorcing a lawyer, take a look at
the books to see who your spouse usually refers
cases to and then subpoena records from that
attorney and depose them.
If a party to a
divorce is in the military, it is necessary to hire an
attorney with experience in his practice area. If the
language in a judgment is improper, the division of a
military retirement could be unenforceable. Additionally,
there are several unique avenues to acquire information
relevant to the dissolution.
If you or someone you
know in Eugene or throughout the Willamette Valley needs
the assistance of an experienced divorce lawyer, contact the attorneys at Arnold Law Office today at 541-338-9111. Our attorneys have a
wealth of information at their fingertips, including that
of managing partner Jacy Arnold, who was
recently rated one of the best Oregon's best lawyers
under the age of 40.
Managing
partner Mike Arnold on what sets Arnold Law
Office apart:
Arnold
Law Office, LLC, represents clients along the Oregon
Coast and throughout Western Oregon, including in
Portland, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, Corvallis, Cottage
Grove, Albany, Newport, Oregon City, Beaverton,
Clackamas, Wilsonville, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego,
Coburg, Creswell, Florence, Junction City, Lowell,
Veneta, Oakridge, Roseburg, Brownsville, Halsey,
Harrisburg Klamath Falls, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass,
Glendale, and Bend, and in the following counties: Lane
County, Multnomah
County, Washington County, Clackamas County, Linn County,
Douglas County, Marion County, Coos County, Lincoln
County, Benton County, Deschutes County, Josephine
County, Klamath County, and Jackson County.
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