Energy & Business Divorce Specialist
Energy royalties, business interests, deferred comp — Oklahoma's equitable distribution requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly what you're entitled to.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in high-asset energy divorces
Turn Panic Into Power — $97Your spouse managed the mineral rights, the Devon stock options, the royalty checks. Now you're supposed to divide assets you've never fully understood — and you're terrified of leaving money on the table.
Energy sector divorces are different. Working interests have ongoing cost obligations. Royalty income fluctuates with commodity prices. Unvested RSUs require time-rule calculations. Most attorneys — even good ones — aren't equipped to value these assets correctly.
The solution: Education that puts you in control. When you understand what you own, what it's worth, and what you're entitled to under Oklahoma law — you negotiate from power, not panic.
If you're over 50 and facing divorce in Oklahoma City, 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 in the energy industry. Instead, your divorce centers entirely on protecting and dividing decades of accumulated wealth in America's energy capital.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the family finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the stock compensation from Devon Energy or Chesapeake Energy, managed the mineral rights portfolio, or invested in OKC real estate while you focused on raising children or supporting their career. Now you're facing questions like:
Devon Energy is headquartered in downtown Oklahoma City and is one of America's largest independent oil & gas producers. For executives and employees, Devon offers sophisticated compensation packages that create unique divorce challenges.
Devon Energy compensation structure:
Common Devon divorce scenarios:
Devon-specific tax considerations:
For those new to managing finances: Devon's compensation isn't just salary—it's a complex mix of current cash, future stock grants, and retirement benefits. An executive making $150,000 in salary might receive $100,000+ in stock compensation and bonuses annually. Understanding what you're entitled to—and when you can access it—requires specialized knowledge.
Chesapeake Energy, one of Oklahoma City's most prominent energy companies, has undergone significant changes including bankruptcy reorganization. This creates unique considerations for divorcing employees and former employees.
Chesapeake Energy divorce considerations:
Critical Chesapeake scenario: If your spouse was a long-term Chesapeake employee, their 401(k) may have been heavily concentrated in Chesapeake stock that lost most of its value. Understanding actual current value (not historical value) is critical for fair division.
Current Chesapeake employees: Post-bankruptcy compensation packages include cash bonuses, stock awards, and benefits that require proper valuation for divorce purposes.
Oklahoma City is surrounded by active oil & gas production. Many residents own mineral rights, royalty interests, or working interests independent of corporate employment—creating complex divorce assets.
Common OKC area oil & gas divorce assets:
Valuation challenges specific to OKC area:
Separate property considerations: If you inherited mineral rights from parents or grandparents, or owned them before marriage, they are typically YOUR separate property under Oklahoma law. However, royalty income generated during marriage may be marital property. Proper documentation is critical.
Critical decision: Should you divide the mineral rights themselves, or negotiate for other assets of equal value? Mineral rights generate passive income but are illiquid and commodity-dependent. Some spouses prefer to keep minerals for income; others want liquid retirement assets instead.
Oklahoma City metro real estate—especially in premium neighborhoods—has appreciated significantly over 20-30 year marriages, often representing your largest single asset and the most emotionally charged.
Premium OKC metro neighborhoods:
OKC real estate considerations for gray divorce:
Critical questions:
Energy boom and bust cycles: OKC real estate has historically tracked the energy sector. Premium neighborhoods did well during energy booms but stagnated during busts. Understanding current market position and future outlook matters for settlement timing.
Beyond energy, Oklahoma City has diversified into technology, healthcare, and aerospace. These employers create different but valuable divorce assets.
Paycom (OKC-headquartered tech company):
Tinker Air Force Base:
Healthcare (OU Health, INTEGRIS, SSM Health):
In Oklahoma City, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage—often at the peak of energy sector careers. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex in OKC:
If your spouse has worked in Oklahoma City's energy sector for 20-30 years, you've likely accumulated wealth through:
Common scenario: Your spouse is a Devon Energy executive with $400,000 in unvested RSUs, $600,000 in 401(k) assets (half in Devon stock), mineral rights in Canadian County generating $50,000/year in royalties, and a home in Nichols Hills worth $850,000. How do you divide this fairly while protecting your retirement and managing commodity price risk?
Oklahoma City's economy is deeply tied to energy, creating unique divorce timing considerations:
Oil & gas price cycles:
Should you wait for a better market? Sometimes no. Emotional and legal costs of delaying divorce may exceed potential financial gains. Plus, you can't predict commodity prices.
Diversification imperative: If settlement leaves you holding concentrated Devon or Chesapeake stock, or significant mineral rights exposure, you face ongoing commodity price risk. Post-divorce diversification planning becomes critical.
When you're 50, 60, or older, you don't have decades to "start over" financially. Every asset division decision affects whether you can retire comfortably in Oklahoma City.
Critical questions:
Many of our Oklahoma City clients—particularly those who focused on homemaking or supporting a spouse's demanding energy sector career—have never personally managed stock compensation, mineral rights portfolios, or complex retirement accounts.
You're not alone: We help you understand what you have, how it works, and how to manage it going forward. Devon RSUs, mineral rights division orders, and working interest obligations aren't intuitive, but they're learnable.
Post-divorce financial education needs:
If you're 50-64 and divorcing, healthcare coverage becomes critical. You're too young for Medicare but may lose coverage through your spouse's employer.
Options to explore:
OKC-specific healthcare note: If your spouse worked for a major employer (Devon, Paycom, OU Health, Tinker AFB), their benefits may have been exceptional. Replacing comparable coverage independently can cost $500-$1,500/month in Oklahoma.
As an Oklahoma City resident, your divorce follows Oklahoma's equitable distribution laws. This means:
Why financial expertise matters: Oklahoma law gives you strong protections for separate property—IF you can document and prove it. Gathering mineral ownership records, inheritance documentation, and pre-marital asset valuations requires sophisticated financial work.
Oklahoma City energy sector divorces involve assets and income streams that most financial planners never encounter:
Generic financial advice fails in Oklahoma City gray divorce. You need someone who understands:
Leanne Ozaine brings specialized expertise in gray divorce financial planning. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), she helps Oklahoma City clients understand complex energy sector assets, protect accumulated wealth, and build post-divorce financial security—even if you've never managed Devon stock compensation or mineral rights independently.
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 royalty income, asset proceeds, 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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Get the Clarity You Need — $97Get expert guidance on Devon/Chesapeake compensation, mineral rights, oil & gas assets, and gray divorce financial planning.
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