When a spouse files a divorce petition in court, it becomes part of a public record that is available to any member of the public to review. In a standard litigation process, that becomes true of any documents required by the court for it to make decisions in the case. A Collaborative Divorce is different and allows the couple to keep their information private. What Happens in a … [Read more...] about The Privacy Benefit in Collaborative Divorce
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Navigating Financial Issues in a Gray Divorce
A gray divorce is a euphemism for people getting divorced who are over the age of 50. The issues that need to be resolved are different in a gray divorce than in divorces between younger couples. Since there are generally no minor children, the main issue the couple faces is division of assets. Too often, one party may try to hide assets from the other. Financial … [Read more...] about Navigating Financial Issues in a Gray Divorce
Pre-Divorce Financial Checklist
It seems that in almost all cases of divorce, one party has been the one who handled the money and can readily provide necessary financial documents to legal counsel handling the divorce. The other party is often left in the dark and should sit down with the CPA who prepared the tax returns and go over the documents in order to discover the true financial situation. Here are some of the items that … [Read more...] about Pre-Divorce Financial Checklist
What to Do If Your Business Partner is Getting A Divorce
When you originally put together your partnership agreement, it is likely you did not think about what you would do if your business partner got divorced. If you did, and it is happening now, review your partnership contract and comply with its terms. If you did not include a provision, you may be stressed thinking about how your partner’s divorce will affect your business … [Read more...] about What to Do If Your Business Partner is Getting A Divorce
Preparing or Tuning an Estate Plan
Process Outline - Estate Planning Take a trip together with your spouse to contemplate the following actions and establish the basic plan:Remember, in a properly planned estate a couple can give away during their lifetime or at passing over $10,000,000 without incurring any gift or estate tax.Do you wish to pass assets during your life time?To Charity?To heirs? Establish living … [Read more...] about Preparing or Tuning an Estate Plan
Succession Planning
Webster’s defines Succession in this way, among others: “The order in which, or the conditions under which, one person after another succeeds to a property, dignity, title or throne.” Most of us have been involved in some type of succession process, either when we are planning our careers, seek or obtain a promotion at work or inherit property from relatives. So, most of us know what … [Read more...] about Succession Planning
Business Fraud
Embezzlement Worries? No? Well, you should have. All businesses should be worried about becoming victims of some fraudster. This is especially true for owners of small businesses that rely on staff and employees to invoice customers; deposit funds; process payroll; receive and ship merchandise or prepare financial statements. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ annual report … [Read more...] about Business Fraud
Reading Fake Money
While it doesn’t happen very often with non-retail tradespersons, occasionally we find ourselves with a piece of currency that looks a little odd. Did you ever wonder how to identify whether it was actually a counterfeit bill? Here’s the procedures the professionals use to identify if they have been had! Unless you have Superman’s eyes use a magnifying glass or loupe to perform these … [Read more...] about Reading Fake Money
8 Tips for Assuring an ‘Intelligent Divorce’
As financial forensic accountants in over 200 marital dissolutions over the last 15 years, the experts at Heberger & Company have concluded that there really is such a thing as an "intelligent divorce." In fact, clients who have been able to achieve an intelligent divorce share eight common, and beneficial, traits: They educate themselves about the divorce process, California Family Code … [Read more...] about 8 Tips for Assuring an ‘Intelligent Divorce’
Smart Ways About Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Most of us know or have a feeling about which parts of our community to stay away from due to their actual or perceived crime rates. Our knowledge about those areas and our instincts lead us to naturally avoid the “bad areas.” However, when it comes to avoiding crimes involving theft of our identities, we are usually clueless. Sometimes, we even make it easy for the identity thieves to turn us … [Read more...] about Smart Ways About Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft