Energy & Corporate Divorce Specialist
Energy royalties, Williams Companies stock, deferred comp — Tulsa's energy wealth is complex. 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 Williams stock options, the ONEOK benefits, 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. Midstream assets have unique valuations. Pipeline company stock moves with natural gas 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 Tulsa, 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 tied to Tulsa's midstream energy sector and corporate headquarters.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the family finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the stock compensation from Williams Companies or ONEOK, managed the mineral rights portfolio, or invested in Tulsa real estate while you focused on raising children or supporting their career. Now you're facing questions like:
Williams Companies is headquartered in downtown Tulsa and is one of America's largest natural gas infrastructure companies. For executives and employees, Williams offers sophisticated compensation packages that create unique divorce challenges.
Williams Companies compensation structure:
Common Williams divorce scenarios:
For those new to managing finances: Williams' compensation isn't just salary—it's a complex mix of current cash, future stock grants, and retirement benefits. An executive making $175,000 in salary might receive $150,000+ in stock compensation and bonuses annually. Understanding what you're entitled to—and when you can access it—requires specialized knowledge.
ONEOK is another major Tulsa-headquartered energy company focused on natural gas gathering, processing, and transportation. ONEOK employees face similar compensation complexity to Williams.
ONEOK compensation considerations:
Critical ONEOK scenario: If your spouse has been with ONEOK for 20+ years, their 401(k) may be heavily concentrated in company stock. This creates both significant value AND significant risk. Understanding actual current value and diversification needs is critical for fair division.
Tulsa has been an oil & gas hub for over a century. Many residents own mineral rights, royalty interests, or working interests independent of corporate employment—creating complex divorce assets.
Common Tulsa area oil & gas divorce assets:
Valuation challenges specific to Tulsa 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.
Tulsa 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 Tulsa metro neighborhoods:
Tulsa real estate considerations for gray divorce:
Critical questions:
Beyond energy, Tulsa has diversified into aerospace, healthcare, and technology. These employers create different but valuable divorce assets.
American Airlines Maintenance Base (Tulsa):
Healthcare (Saint Francis, Ascension St. John, Hillcrest):
BOK Financial (Bank of Oklahoma):
Magellan Midstream Partners (now part of ONEOK):
In Tulsa, 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 Tulsa:
If your spouse has worked in Tulsa's energy sector for 20-30 years, you've likely accumulated wealth through:
Common scenario: Your spouse is a Williams Companies executive with $500,000 in unvested RSUs, $700,000 in 401(k) assets (half in Williams stock), mineral rights in Rogers County generating $30,000/year in royalties, and a home in South Tulsa worth $650,000. How do you divide this fairly while protecting your retirement and managing commodity price risk?
Tulsa's economy is deeply tied to natural gas infrastructure, creating unique divorce timing considerations:
Natural 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 Williams or ONEOK 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 Tulsa.
Critical questions:
Many of our Tulsa 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. Williams 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:
Tulsa-specific healthcare note: If your spouse worked for a major employer (Williams, ONEOK, BOK Financial, major hospitals), their benefits may have been exceptional. Replacing comparable coverage independently can cost $500-$1,500/month in Oklahoma.
As a Tulsa 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.
Tulsa energy sector divorces involve assets and income streams that most financial planners never encounter:
Generic financial advice fails in Tulsa 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 Tulsa clients understand complex energy sector assets, protect accumulated wealth, and build post-divorce financial security—even if you've never managed Williams 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, Williams stock 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 Williams/ONEOK compensation, mineral rights, oil & gas assets, and gray divorce financial planning.
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