High Net Worth Family Law Practice Areas

Borna Houman Law represents executives, founders, physicians, real estate principals, and entertainment industry professionals in California’s most complex high-net-worth divorces. Our practice is built around the issues that drive outcome in HNW dissolutions: business valuation, characterization of executive compensation, separate property tracing, hidden asset discovery, and asset protection through every phase of the proceeding. We work quietly, strategically, and with the level of discretion our clients expect.

The principles that govern every HNW divorce in California: assets and debts acquired during marriage are presumed community property under Family Code § 760, and each spouse owes the other a fiduciary duty of full disclosure under Family Code §§ 721 and 1100. The date of separation under Family Code § 70 fixes when community property accumulation stops, which is why DOS is contested in nearly every high-asset case we handle.

Why High-Net-Worth Divorces Are Different

The mechanics of dividing $30 million in marital assets are not the same as dividing $300,000. Closely held businesses require formal valuation under one of three accepted methods: market approach, income approach, or asset approach. Stock options and restricted stock units acquired during marriage are divided under the Hug or Nelson time-rule formulas depending on when the grant was made and the purpose of the award. Cryptocurrency, offshore accounts, deferred compensation, and trust assets each require their own forensic discipline.

Goodwill in a professional practice or operating business is community property when developed during marriage under In re Marriage of Foster (1974), and quantifying it is one of the most contested elements of any HNW divorce we litigate. Personal goodwill (tied to one spouse’s individual reputation) is generally not divisible. Enterprise goodwill (institutional value of the business itself) is.

Our Practice Areas in High-Net-Worth Family Law

The cards below describe the core practice areas we serve, but our work spans every issue that arises in a high-asset California dissolution. We handle business valuation disputes involving operating companies, professional practices, and private equity holdings. We litigate stock option and RSU division under the Hug and Nelson formulas, restricted stock acquired through founding events, and deferred compensation plans subject to qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) under federal ERISA standards.

We trace separate property contributions to community assets and pursue Family Code § 2640 reimbursement claims. We coordinate forensic accounting on hidden asset cases, including cryptocurrency wallets, offshore holdings, and undisclosed income streams. We litigate move-away custody under the LaMusga factors and represent parents in contested relocation cases. We draft and enforce premarital and post-marital agreements under the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, including the 7-day review requirement that has invalidated many otherwise enforceable agreements.

Discretion and Privacy in HNW Cases

Family law proceedings are presumptively public in California, but tools exist to keep sensitive financial information out of the public record. We use confidentiality orders, sealed filings under California Rules of Court 2.550-2.585, and private judicial officers (referee or temporary judge under CCP § 638) to keep depositions and financial discovery out of open court. Collaborative divorce under Family Code § 2013 offers an even stronger privacy mechanism: the entire proceeding remains outside the courthouse until a stipulated judgment is entered.

Every client matter at Borna Houman Law is handled with the privacy protocols you would expect from a firm representing public-facing professionals, executives, and principal investors. Communications channels, billing arrangements, and document handling are structured to minimize exposure.

How We Engage With New Clients

We bill hourly. Initial retainers reflect the anticipated complexity of the matter. For straightforward asset division between spouses with concentrated holdings, the initial retainer typically ranges between $15,000 and $35,000. For matters involving contested business valuation, hidden assets, or complex equity compensation, the initial retainer is set higher and replenished throughout the proceeding. We provide detailed monthly statements and discuss strategy and budget at every stage.

The first conversation is a confidential consultation. We listen, ask the questions that identify the structural issues in your case, and provide an honest assessment of timeline, cost, and likely outcome. We do not take every case. We accept matters where our practice expertise materially improves the result.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation

If you are contemplating divorce, have been served with dissolution papers, or need counsel on a postnuptial agreement, asset-protection structure, or contested custody matter, call (888) 42-BORNA or visit our contact page to schedule a confidential consultation. We represent clients throughout Los Angeles County, with particular focus on Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village.

]]>