Gray Divorce Financial Specialist
Energy pensions, healthcare retirement, real estate — West Virginia's 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 — $97If you're over 50 and facing divorce in the Charleston metro area, 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 West Virginia's capital and economic center.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the family finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the state government pension benefits, natural gas industry compensation, CAMC healthcare benefits, or legacy chemical industry pension while you focused on raising children or supporting their career. Now you're facing questions like:
State government pensions. Natural gas royalties. Chemical industry retirement benefits. PEIA healthcare. You've heard these terms for years. You know they're important.
But do you actually understand what they're worth? Which portion is marital property? How are PERS pensions divided? What happens to mineral rights you inherited but developed during marriage?
Your spouse has managed these finances for decades. They understand benefit statements, royalty calculations, and pension survivor options.
You're seeing these documents for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that determines your entire financial future.
West Virginia's equitable distribution isn't magic. It's complicated — but complicated has solutions. You need someone who can decode the pension statements, translate the royalty agreements, and show you exactly what you're entitled to under state law.
The difference between understanding your assets and not? It can easily be $100,000-$300,000 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 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
Instant access. 100% money-back guarantee.
Get the Clarity You Need — $97As West Virginia's capital city, Charleston is home to thousands of state government employees—from Capitol Complex workers to Department of Transportation staff to state university employees at WVU Charleston and UC. State employment creates unique divorce challenges.
State employee benefits complexity: State workers often have layered benefits including PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) pensions, supplemental retirement accounts (403b, 457), PEIA healthcare, and accumulated leave benefits. Dividing these requires specialized knowledge of West Virginia public employee systems.
Key state government divorce issues:
For those new to managing finances: State government benefits are often more valuable than the paycheck itself, especially the pension and retiree healthcare. Understanding what you're entitled to—and how to protect it—is essential for your post-divorce financial security.
Charleston-specific note: If your spouse works at the Capitol Complex or for state agencies headquartered in Charleston, they may be eligible for early retirement provisions that affect timing and division strategies.
The Charleston metro area sits at the heart of West Virginia's natural gas boom. The Marcellus and Utica shale plays have created significant wealth for those working in exploration, production, pipeline operations, and supporting industries—and equally complex divorce issues.
Key natural gas industry challenges:
Mineral rights complexity: This is where Charleston-area divorces get particularly tricky. If your family owned land with mineral rights before marriage but started receiving royalty payments during marriage, West Virginia courts may treat the royalty income as marital property even though the underlying mineral rights are separate. This requires careful legal and financial analysis.
Common scenario: Your spouse's family owned 100 acres in Kanawha County with mineral rights. You married in 2000. In 2010, they signed a gas lease with a $200,000 bonus and now receive $3,000/month in royalties. How much is marital property? The answer isn't simple—you need expert guidance.
Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) is one of West Virginia's largest employers and a major teaching hospital. Healthcare employment—whether at CAMC, Thomas Health, or physician practices—creates unique benefits that complicate divorce.
Healthcare industry divorce considerations:
CAMC Health System specifics: CAMC employees may have access to defined contribution retirement plans with employer matching, pension benefits for long-term employees, and valuable retiree health insurance. Each of these requires different division approaches.
Charleston's Kanawha Valley was once known as "Chemical Valley" with major operations by Union Carbide, DuPont, Dow, FMC, and other chemical manufacturers. While many plants have closed or downsized, the pensions remain—creating unique challenges for gray divorce.
Chemical industry pension challenges:
Common scenario: Your spouse worked 30 years at Union Carbide's South Charleston plant before the facility downsized. They retired at age 55 with a pension paying $3,500/month. Now at age 62, you're divorcing. That pension may be worth $700,000-$1M+ in present value—and you're entitled to a portion of the marital share. But the pension also includes retiree healthcare that's worth thousands per year. How do we value and divide this?
Institute and South Charleston specifics: The chemical plants in Institute and South Charleston employed thousands. If your spouse worked at one of these facilities, understanding the specific pension plan rules, survivor benefit options, and retiree healthcare provisions is essential.
In Charleston's metro area, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex in this region:
If your spouse has worked in state government, natural gas, healthcare, or the chemical industry for 20-30 years, you've likely accumulated wealth through:
Common scenario: Your spouse worked for the State of West Virginia for 30 years. You have a home in Charleston's South Hills worth $350,000, $400,000 in retirement accounts, a PERS pension worth $2,800/month, and access to PEIA retiree healthcare. Your family also owns 50 acres in Boone County with mineral rights generating $1,500/month in gas royalties. How do you divide this fairly while protecting your retirement?
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.
Critical questions:
Many of our Charleston-area clients—particularly those who focused on homemaking or supporting a spouse's demanding state government or industry career—have never personally managed pensions, mineral rights, or complex benefits packages.
You're not alone: We help you understand what you have, how it works, and how to manage it going forward. PERS pensions, natural gas royalties, and chemical industry legacy benefits aren't intuitive, but they're learnable.
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 or PEIA.
Options to explore:
As a Charleston resident, your divorce follows West Virginia's equitable distribution laws. This means:
Charleston-specific considerations: Kanawha County courts handle a high volume of gray divorce cases involving state government benefits, natural gas industry assets, and legacy chemical pensions. Local attorneys and financial experts familiar with these specific assets are essential for favorable outcomes.
Learn more about West Virginia's equitable distribution laws →
Charleston's diverse neighborhoods—from South Hills to Kanawha City to Dunbar—offer different property values and cost of living considerations.
Charleston area real estate considerations:
Critical decisions:
West Virginia's progressive income tax (3-6.5%) impacts your post-divorce financial planning, especially when living on fixed retirement income.
Key tax considerations:
You don't have to navigate Charleston-area divorce finances alone. Get the clarity you need to protect your future.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Consultation