Corporate & Medical Specialist
Corporate equity, healthcare retirement, real estate — Kansas equitable distribution requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly what you're entitled to.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in gray divorce for 50+
Turn Panic Into Power — $97Sprint stock options. Cerner RSUs. Medical center pensions. Deferred compensation plans. You've heard these terms for years. You know they're valuable.
But do you actually understand what they are? Which options have vested? Which benefits are marital property under Kansas equitable distribution? How are healthcare retirement plans valued and divided?
Your spouse has lived with these compensation statements for 15+ years. They understand vesting schedules, exercise windows, and pension projections.
You're seeing these documents for the first time — while negotiating a settlement worth $500,000 to $2 million.
Kansas City's corporate and healthcare economy creates unique divorce complexity. Sprint/T-Mobile transitions, Cerner's Oracle acquisition, KU Medical Center pensions — every change affects valuation. Every timing question is a potential $100,000 mistake.
The difference between understanding corporate equity and not? It can easily be $200,000-$400,000 in your final settlement — and the difference between comfort and struggle in retirement.
If you're over 50 and facing divorce in the Kansas City metro area—particularly Johnson County's affluent communities like Overland Park, Leawood, and Prairie Village—you're likely dealing with financial complexity that goes far beyond dividing a checking account. Child custody battles typically aren't your main concern—your children are grown, in college, or building their own careers. Instead, your divorce centers entirely on protecting and dividing decades of accumulated wealth in one of Kansas's most prosperous regions.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the family finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the professional services compensation, investment portfolios, or real estate holdings while you focused on raising children or supporting their career. Now you're facing questions like:
The Johnson County difference: This area has some of the highest household incomes and property values in Kansas. Your divorce likely involves significant assets, complex compensation packages, and sophisticated financial planning—which is exactly what we're here to help you navigate.
Johnson County is home to numerous high-earning professionals—attorneys, consultants, financial advisors, and executives. These careers come with complex compensation packages that create unique divorce challenges.
Professional services divorce complications:
For those new to managing finances: Professional compensation is often far more complex than a simple salary. Understanding the full value of your household's compensation—including deferred income, bonuses, and partnership equity—is critical to achieving a fair settlement.
Many Kansas City metro residents live in Kansas (Johnson County) but work in Missouri (Kansas City, MO). This creates unique considerations for divorce.
Key dual-state issues:
The practical impact: Living in Kansas while working in Missouri means you're already navigating two state tax systems. Divorce adds another layer of complexity—you need someone who understands both states' financial implications.
Johnson County has some of the highest property values in Kansas, with homes in Leawood, Prairie Village, and parts of Overland Park regularly exceeding $1 million. This creates significant equity to divide—and significant decisions to make.
Real estate considerations for Johnson County:
The equity trap: Having $700K in home equity sounds great—until you realize you need to buy your spouse out or sell and find new housing in the same expensive market. We help you think through all options strategically.
While Wichita is the primary hub for Kansas's aviation industry, Johnson County residents may also work in aerospace or have connections to the industry. Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, and Garmin all have significant Kansas operations.
Aviation industry divorce considerations:
For gray divorce in affluent Johnson County, retirement accounts are often your largest asset—frequently worth $500K to $2 million or more.
Critical considerations:
For those new to finances: These retirement accounts represent your financial security for the next 30-40 years. Understanding how to divide them fairly—and how to make them last—is perhaps the most important financial planning you'll ever do.
Johnson County has many high-income households, which creates unique maintenance dynamics.
High-income maintenance considerations:
The earning capacity question: If you're 55, haven't worked in 25 years, and the job market has completely changed, Kansas courts recognize you may have very limited ability to become self-supporting. This often justifies substantial, long-term maintenance.
Johnson County has many business owners and professionals with private practices—medical, dental, legal, consulting, and more.
Business valuation challenges:
The buyout vs. ongoing ownership question: In most cases, one spouse buys out the other's interest in the business. But determining the fair value—and whether to pay from property division or over time—requires sophisticated financial planning.
In affluent marriages, separate property claims become critically important. Kansas law protects separate property—but you must prove it.
Common separate property issues in Johnson County:
The commingling trap: The most common way to lose separate property protection is commingling. If you deposited inheritance money into a joint account, used it to pay household expenses, or renovated the marital home with it, you may have converted it to marital property.
Tracing requirements: To protect separate property, you need to trace it from source to current form. Bank statements, estate documents, gift letters, and investment statements become critical evidence.
For those new to managing finances: You may not even know what separate property you have. Part of our work together is identifying potential separate property claims and gathering the documentation needed to protect them.
Johnson County's high-income residents face significant tax considerations in divorce—both at the state and federal level.
Key tax issues:
The $500K home sale exclusion: Married couples can exclude up to $500K in capital gains on home sales; singles only $250K. If you have significant appreciation, selling before divorce may save tens of thousands in taxes.
For those over 50 but not yet 65 (Medicare-eligible), health insurance becomes a critical divorce consideration.
Health insurance options post-divorce:
The Medicare countdown: If you're 62 and divorcing, you have 3 years until Medicare eligibility. Planning for healthcare coverage during this gap is essential—and potentially expensive.
Here's what we build together after your divorce:
Income planning:
Expense planning:
The confidence transformation: Our Johnson County clients consistently tell us: "I went from terrified to confident about money." That's what expert financial guidance delivers—not just a settlement, but a comprehensive plan for your future.
Let's be direct: Johnson County divorces are often more financially complex than divorces in other parts of Kansas because:
Working with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst who understands these complexities—and can partner with your attorney to protect your interests—isn't optional. It's essential.
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 something 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
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