Talk To Heidi: 760-933-0503

Law Offices of Heidi D. Collier, APC
760-933-0503
Putting Decades Of Legal Experience Toward Your Family’s Goals

San Diego Tech Executive Divorce Attorney Services

Ending a marriage while leading a technology company brings distinct personal and financial challenges. High earners must find ways to address complex asset division, confidential business details and intricate equity portfolios. When you need reliable family law counsel, Heidi D. Collier, APC, offers knowledgeable guidance on all aspects of high-asset divorce.

Based in Escondido and serving clients throughout San Diego County, Heidi has more than 30 years of legal practice experience. She shields your financial interests at every turn. Work alongside a tech executive divorce attorney whom San Diego professionals trust to resolve delicate domestic matters effectively.

Division Of Executive Equity Under California Property Law

California Family Code Section 760 defines assets earned during marriage as joint community property. In divorce cases, the court can divide community assets 50-50 between spouses. However, California Family Code Section 770 designates assets acquired before the marriage or post-separation as separate property.

Executive pay packages frequently blur these lines. Unvested restricted stock units (RSUs) and stock options awarded during the marriage may have dual character, or properties of both separate and communal assets. When dividing such assets, California courts use a certain equation called the Hug formula, which measures the timeline from the employment start date through the date of separation. Conversely, judges apply the Nelson formula when awards serve as financial incentives for ongoing employment. This tracks the period from the grant date through the date of separation.

Exploring Asset Division Strategies For Executive Portfolios

 As a skilled tech executive divorce lawyer, Heidi analyzes every element of your executive compensation package. She works closely with you to arrive at an asset division model that aligns with your financial goals.

She regularly helps clients value and divide complex assets such as:

  • Performance stock units (PSUs)
  • Deferred compensation structures
  • Incentive stock options (ISOs)
  • Nonqualified stock options (NQSOs)
  • Future capital gains tax liabilities
  • Performance bonuses and retention rewards

Heidi uses rigorous forensics to track equity grants. She also knows how to simplify the difficult valuation of early-stage startups, since shares lack liquidity and market prices. Regarding public tech firms, she handles all details carefully to encompass potential share price swings and regulatory blackout windows.

Determining Spousal Support With Variable Income

Calculating spousal support is also highly intricate, especially in high net worth divorce cases for executives whose pay swings from year to year. Stock vestings, performance bonuses and option exercises can create unpredictable cash flow. Heidi draws from her considerable experience as an executive divorce attorney to create custom spousal support agreements using tiered payment schedules. This allows her to address fluctuating income streams fairly to limit future court disputes.

Request Your Private Consultation With An Executive Divorce Lawyer Today

Secure your financial assets, company equity and future trajectory with reliable counsel from Heidi D. Collier, APC, for your high net worth divorce. Please call Heidi’s office at 760-933-0503 or send her an email to request a private consultation through the firm’s secure Clio intake platform.