High-Asset Divorce Specialist
Luxury real estate, complex investments, retirement accounts — California's 50/50 split sounds simple. This guide shows you exactly what to protect.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in high-asset divorces
Turn Panic Into Power — $97If you're over 50 and facing divorce in Santa Barbara or the Central Coast, you're not fighting over custody—your children are likely grown, independent, or pursuing their own lives. Instead, you're navigating the financial complexity of dividing high-value real estate, vineyard properties, investment portfolios, and retirement assets accumulated over decades in one of California's most affluent regions.
This is especially overwhelming if you've never personally managed the household finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the vineyard operations, real estate investments, or business interests while you focused on family and community. Now you're facing questions like:
Beachfront properties. Wine country estates. Investment portfolios built over decades. You know they're valuable. You know California is a community property state.
But do you actually understand what 50/50 means for your situation? Which assets are truly community property? What about the appreciation on your home purchased before marriage? The vineyard operations revenue? The retirement accounts with complex tax implications?
Your spouse may have managed the finances for 25 years. They understand the investment statements, the property valuations, the business income streams.
You're seeing these documents for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that could be worth $2-5 million.
High-asset divorce isn't about splitting things down the middle. It's about understanding what you have, what it's truly worth, and what you need to maintain your lifestyle for the next 25 years.
The difference between understanding your assets and not? It can easily be $500,000-$1,000,000 in your final settlement.
The 5-step system that shows you what you'll actually live on, so you stop guessing and start knowing.
Calculate your real post-divorce income — including spousal support, assets, and earning potential — so you negotiate from facts, not fear.
Document gathering checklists tell you exactly what to bring to your attorney — so you walk in prepared, not panicked.
Map out your real expenses as a single person — before you fight for a property you can't actually maintain.
The asset identification system helps you find accounts and property you might not even know exist.
22-page guide + video tutorials + checklists + templates
$97
Instant access. 100% money-back guarantee.
Get the Clarity You Need — $97Santa Barbara and the Central Coast feature some of California's most desirable (and expensive) real estate. Properties in Montecito, Hope Ranch, and coastal Santa Barbara easily reach $3M-$20M+.
Key considerations for gray divorce:
The Santa Ynez Valley and Paso Robles wine regions create unique divorce financial challenges. Vineyard properties aren't just real estate—they're operating businesses with complex valuations.
What needs valuing:
For those new to wine business finances: Vineyards are capital-intensive and cash-flow variable. Understanding the true value—and whether you want to keep your interest or sell—requires specialized knowledge.
Santa Barbara attracts affluent retirees and semi-retirees. Many gray divorce clients are already retired or planning retirement soon, making asset division even more critical.
Key questions:
Many Santa Barbara residents own businesses (hospitality, wine, retail, professional practices) that must be valued and divided. California law treats professional goodwill as community property.
If you or your spouse owns a winery, restaurant, medical practice, or other business established during marriage, valuation becomes a major divorce issue.
In Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex in this region:
Decades of appreciation in Santa Barbara real estate means even modest original purchases are now worth millions. That appreciation is community property in California.
Decision time: Do you sell and split the proceeds? Does one spouse buy out the other? What are the tax implications? Can either spouse afford to keep the property?
Santa Barbara is a dream retirement location—but it's expensive. For gray divorce clients:
Many of our Santa Barbara clients—particularly those who supported a spouse's business or career—have never personally managed vineyard operations, investment portfolios, or complex real estate holdings.
You're not alone: We help you understand what you have, how it generates income (or expenses), and how to make informed decisions about keeping or selling assets.
While our primary focus is gray divorce (50+ with grown children), some clients have high school or college-age children. California's child support formula applies based on income and custody time. However, for most 50+ clients, children are independent, and divorce planning centers on dividing accumulated wealth and ensuring retirement security.
As a Santa Barbara or Central Coast resident, your divorce follows California's strict community property laws:
The Rule of 65: If your age plus years of marriage equals 65 or more, spousal support may continue indefinitely—particularly relevant for gray divorces where one spouse supported the other's career or business.
Learn more about California's community property laws →
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout the Central Coast, including:
Whether you've managed vineyard operations for years or you're learning about real estate valuation for the first time, we provide the education and guidance you need.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Strategy Session