High-Net-Worth Divorce Specialist
Corporate equity, executive compensation, real estate — Pennsylvania's equitable distribution requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly what you're entitled to.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in high-asset divorces
Turn Panic Into Power — $97You spent 30 years supporting the medical practice, the law firm, the pharma career. Raising the children so your spouse could work 80-hour weeks. Entertaining clients. Sacrificing your own professional growth.
Now there's a practice worth $2 million, stock compensation vesting next year, and a pension you've never fully understood — and you're supposed to accept whatever valuation their expert produces?
Professional practice valuations aren't objective facts. They're arguments. And your spouse's expert will minimize value at every turn: discounts for lack of marketability, depressed revenue projections, "adjustments" that shave $500,000 off the number.
And that's just what's on the books. What about pharma stock that vests after separation? Deferred compensation from Main Line Health? Partnership distributions from the law firm? Your spouse knows every dollar flowing through their career. You might not know these income streams exist.
Under Pennsylvania's equitable distribution, you're entitled to a fair share — but "fair" only happens when you know what exists. You need someone who knows where value hides, challenges low-ball numbers, and makes sure 30 years of your support aren't erased by creative accounting.
Q: How are Main Line estates and old-money trusts divided in Pennsylvania divorce?
Philadelphia Main Line (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Radnor, Villanova, Gladwyne) represents old-money wealth with estates $1M-$5M+ (Gladwyne waterfront $3M-$10M+). Under PA equitable distribution, marital property is divided fairly but not necessarily 50/50. Main Line divorces often involve complex trust structures, inherited wealth (separate property if kept separate), and multigenerational family estates. At 60+, dividing 30-year marriages requires forensic accounting to trace commingled funds, valuation of trust income interests, and proper separation of inherited vs. marital wealth. Don't settle without expert trust analysis.
Q: Can I afford to stay on the Main Line after divorce at 60+?
Main Line living costs are crushing: homes $1M-$5M+ (Gladwyne $3M-$10M+), property taxes $15K-$40K+ annually, private school legacy historically $40K-$60K/child (though kids grown in gray divorce), country club memberships $15K-$50K+. Annual Main Line lifestyle costs $150K-$300K+ minimum. At 60+ on retirement income, solo Main Line living requires $3M-$8M+ net worth beyond home equity. Most divorcees sell Main Line estates and relocate to less expensive Philadelphia suburbs (Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy: 40% lower) or leave PA entirely for lower-tax states.
Q: What about alimony pendente lite (APL) and permanent alimony on the Main Line?
Pennsylvania awards alimony pendente lite (APL) during divorce proceedings and permanent alimony post-divorce based on 17 statutory factors including income disparity, marriage duration, and lifestyle. Main Line 30-year marriages with significant wealth gaps ($500K-$2M+ income vs. homemaker spouse) typically result in substantial permanent alimony: $10K-$50K+ monthly ($120K-$600K+ annually). At 60+, permanent alimony continues until death, remarriage, or cohabitation—representing $3M-$15M+ lifetime transfer over 25-year retirement. Negotiation and proper financial planning critical for both payor and recipient.
Q: Should I relocate from Pennsylvania to escape high state taxes after divorce?
Pennsylvania's tax structure is mixed: flat 3.07% income tax (moderate), property taxes $15K-$40K+ on Main Line estates, no Social Security or retirement income tax. Relocating to Florida (no income/estate tax, 50% lower property taxes) or Delaware (no sales tax, lower property taxes) saves $30K-$100K+ annually for high-net-worth individuals. At 60+ with $5M+ net worth from divorce settlement, Main Line costs plus PA property taxes cost $750K-$2.5M+ over 25-year retirement vs. relocating to tax-friendly states with lower living costs.
If you're over 50 and facing divorce on the Main Line, custody battles aren't your concern—your children are grown. Instead, you're dividing multigenerational estates, trust structures, and navigating Pennsylvania's equitable distribution with country club lifestyles and old-money complexity.
The Main Line features America's oldest wealth concentration with estates in Gladwyne, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Radnor spanning generations.
Main Line families often hold wealth in complex trust structures:
At 60+, dividing 30-year marriages requires expert forensic accounting to properly classify trust assets and income.
Main Line townships command premium prices:
Dividing Main Line estates under PA equitable distribution requires proper valuation and consideration of carrying costs.
Main Line residents include Philadelphia's professional elite:
Executive compensation packages require expert analysis to capture all unvested equity and deferred bonuses.
Pennsylvania uses equitable distribution—fair but not necessarily 50/50. Factors include marriage duration, income disparity, contributions as homemaker, and future earning capacity. For Main Line 30-year marriages, divisions often approach 50/50 but may vary based on circumstances.
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 $2M estate 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
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