Beverly Hills Divorce Attorney for High-Net-Worth Clients.
When the marital estate includes a Trousdale home, entertainment income, and a closely held company, the wrong divorce strategy costs millions. We protect what you’ve built — quietly.
- Entertainment income, residuals & backend participation
- Eight-figure real estate & business division
- Privacy-first strategy — private judging & mediation
Request a Confidential Consultation
100% private. We respond within one business day.
🔒 Your information is kept strictly confidential.
In a Beverly Hills divorce, nearly everything earned during the marriage — salaries, business growth, entertainment residuals, even bonuses paid after separation for work performed during marriage — is community property under California Family Code § 760 and must be divided equally. The outcome turns on valuation, characterization, and tracing, not on who holds title.
Why Do Beverly Hills Divorces Demand a Different Strategy?
The typical Beverly Hills marital estate is not a house and two retirement accounts. It is an eight-figure residence, a closely held company or professional practice, entertainment income with residuals and backend participation, layered trusts, and equity compensation that vests on someone else’s schedule. Each of those assets is valued and divided under different rules — and each is an opportunity for an opposing expert to move millions in either direction.
In our experience, the most expensive mistakes in high-asset Westside divorces happen early: accepting the other side’s business valuation without forensic review, overlooking hidden or dissipated assets, and treating deferred entertainment income as separate property simply because the check arrived after separation. California looks at when the work was performed, not when payment lands.
How Is Community Property Divided in a Beverly Hills Divorce?
California is a community property state. Under Family Code § 760, assets acquired during marriage belong to both spouses equally, and Family Code § 2550 requires an equal division of the community estate. Property owned before marriage, inheritances, and gifts remain separate under Family Code § 770 — but only if they were never commingled. Here is how the assets we see most often in Beverly Hills matters are treated:
| Asset | Typical Treatment | Key Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Residence purchased during marriage | Community property, divided equally regardless of title | Fam. Code §§ 760, 2550 |
| Entertainment residuals & royalties from work during marriage | Community — even when paid years after separation | Characterized by date of the work |
| Business or professional goodwill | Community portion valued and divided; business usually kept intact via offset | In re Marriage of Foster |
| Unvested stock options / RSUs | Apportioned between community and separate by time rule | Hug / Nelson formulas |
| Inheritance kept in separate account | Separate property | Fam. Code § 770 |
| Separate home paid down with community earnings | Community acquires a pro-rata interest | Moore/Marsden |
Every case turns on its facts; this table summarizes general California rules, not advice for your situation.
Can You Keep a Beverly Hills Divorce Private?
Mostly, yes — with the right strategy. California court files are presumptively public, and family courts seal records only in narrow circumstances. The practical path to privacy is keeping the dispute out of the public courthouse: confidential mediation, a privately compensated temporary judge, and tightly drafted protective orders covering financial disclosures. We build that privacy architecture at the start of the case, not after a filing has already drawn attention.
For public-facing clients — entertainers, executives, founders — we also coordinate timing and filings to minimize press exposure. Discretion is not a luxury here; it is part of protecting the value of your name and your business.
How Is Support Calculated When Income Reaches Seven or Eight Figures?
California’s guideline child support formula presumes ordinary incomes. For extraordinarily high earners, Family Code § 4057(b)(3) lets courts deviate from guideline where the formula would exceed the children’s reasonable needs — a fight that turns on lifestyle evidence and forensic accounting. Variable income such as bonuses, residuals, and distributions is typically captured through a percentage-based Smith-Ostler add-on. Spousal support under Family Code § 4320 weighs the marital standard of living — which in Beverly Hills is itself a heavily litigated number. Our analysis of stock options and RSUs in California divorce explains how equity compensation feeds both the property and support sides of the case.
In our experience representing high-net-worth clients across the Westside, the support number that matters is rarely the one a guideline calculator produces — it is the one built from documented cash flow, perquisites, and the real cost of the marital lifestyle. For a deeper look at the issues that decide these cases, see our guide to high-net-worth divorce counsel in Beverly Hills.
We also serve neighboring communities — see our pages for Bel Air, Brentwood, and Santa Monica, or our overview of high-net-worth divorce representation across Los Angeles.
A Senior Advocate for Beverly Hills Families
Borna Houman represents Beverly Hills clients through the most consequential financial event of their lives. The firm is chosen for its discretion, its command of complex valuation and characterization issues, and the assurance that an experienced attorney — not a junior associate — handles every stage of the matter.
- Direct attorney access — your case is never handed off
- Forensic & valuation network for businesses, royalties & real estate
- Settlement-focused, trial-ready — leverage without needless publicity
- Privacy architecture — mediation, private judging, protective orders
A Clear Path Forward — From Day One
Confidential Consultation
We listen in private, understand your assets and priorities, and give you a candid read on where you stand.
Protection & Strategy
We build a tailored plan to value, characterize, and protect your wealth, business, and parental priorities.
Resolution
We pursue a favorable settlement where possible — and are fully prepared to litigate when it isn’t.
Trusted by Westside Families
“Had a great experience with Borna. He was able to answer all of my questions and reassured me I can always call him for any additional questions.”
“…really good to talk to someone who really knows what’s going on. Highly recommend.”
“I had an excellent experience with Borna and his team. Professional, responsive, and truly cared about my case.”
Beverly Hills Divorce FAQ
How much does a divorce cost in Beverly Hills?
It depends almost entirely on conflict level and asset complexity. A negotiated high-net-worth settlement typically costs a fraction of contested litigation, where business valuations, forensic accountants, and expert disputes drive fees well into six figures. We scope this candidly in your first consultation — and our guide to divorce costs in California covers the ranges in detail.
Is my spouse entitled to half of my business?
Not the business itself, in most cases — but the community estate is entitled to half the value of the community’s interest in it. That interest is established through valuation, including goodwill under In re Marriage of Foster. Settlements typically keep the business intact through offsets against other assets.
Are entertainment residuals community property?
Residuals and royalties flowing from work performed during the marriage are community property, even if payment arrives after separation. The character of the income follows the date of the work, not the date of the check.
Can we keep the divorce out of public court records?
Court files are presumptively public in California, and sealing is rare. The realistic privacy strategy is private mediation or a privately compensated temporary judge, plus protective orders for sensitive financial information. We design that approach from day one for public-facing clients.
Which courthouse handles Beverly Hills divorces?
Beverly Hills family law matters are filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court system; Westside cases are commonly heard at the Santa Monica Courthouse, with some matters assigned downtown to Stanley Mosk. Venue and assignment strategy is something we address early. See the LA Superior Court site for locations.
Protect What You’ve Built in Beverly Hills.
Speak directly with Borna Houman about your situation. Every consultation is private and discreet.