Corporate & Healthcare Specialist
Corporate equity, healthcare retirement, real estate — Wisconsin's marital property law 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 Milwaukee's Southeastern Wisconsin communities, 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 Wisconsin's most prosperous regions.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the family finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the Harley-Davidson pension, Northwestern Mutual insurance and investment portfolios, Froedtert healthcare benefits, or executive compensation from Johnson Controls while you focused on raising children or supporting their career. Now you're facing questions like:
Why Wisconsin is different: Wisconsin uses a "marital property" framework (similar to community property) that presumes equal division—but courts can deviate based on specific factors. Understanding when and how to argue for deviation can mean the difference between a fair settlement and financial hardship.
Johnson Controls stock. Northwestern Mutual pensions. Harley-Davidson deferred compensation. Froedtert retirement benefits. You've heard about these for years. You know they're valuable.
But do you actually understand what they are? Which benefits have vested? Which ones vest after separation? What portion is legally marital property under Wisconsin law? How are they taxed when divided?
Your spouse has lived with these compensation statements for 20 years. They understand vesting schedules, pension formulas, and benefit calculations.
You're seeing these documents for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that could be worth $1-2 million.
Corporate benefits aren't magic. They're complicated — but complicated has solutions. You need someone who can decode the pension statements, translate the equity awards, and show you exactly what's yours under Wisconsin's marital property law.
The difference between understanding corporate benefits and not? It can easily be $200,000-$400,000 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 — $97Milwaukee's Southeastern region is home to iconic manufacturing companies—Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, and countless suppliers. These companies offer complex compensation packages that create unique divorce challenges for gray divorce cases.
Harley-Davidson and major manufacturer benefits: Long-tenured employees often have layered compensation including pensions, 401(k) plans, deferred compensation, stock options, profit-sharing, and retiree healthcare. Dividing these requires specialized knowledge.
Key manufacturing pension issues:
For those new to managing finances: A pension is a promise to pay monthly income for life in retirement. Unlike a 401(k) you can see and control, pensions are invisible until retirement. Understanding how to value and divide this asset fairly—often worth $500,000 to $1 million+—is essential for your financial security.
Common scenario: Your spouse worked 30 years at Harley-Davidson and has a pension paying $4,500/month starting at age 60. You were married for 25 of those 30 years. The marital portion is 25÷30 = 83.3% of the benefit. You may be entitled to half of that marital portion ($1,875/month for life). Properly structuring this division through a QDRO protects your retirement income.
Milwaukee is home to Northwestern Mutual, one of the nation's largest financial services companies, plus US Bank, Robert W. Baird, and numerous wealth management firms. Financial services professionals often have complex compensation that creates divorce challenges.
Northwestern Mutual and financial services compensation:
Critical question: Is the book of business or client relationships marital property subject to division, or personal goodwill that stays with your spouse? Wisconsin courts distinguish between enterprise goodwill (divisible) and personal goodwill (not divisible)—but the line isn't always clear.
For those new to finances: Financial services professionals often have "invisible" compensation beyond their paycheck—deferred comp, unvested stock, future bonuses. Making sure all compensation is identified and properly valued is critical. Don't let hidden assets escape division.
Milwaukee's healthcare sector—Froedtert Health, Aurora Health Care, Children's Wisconsin, and numerous specialty practices—offers exceptional compensation packages for physicians, nurses, and administrators. Healthcare professionals present unique divorce considerations.
Froedtert and Aurora Health benefits complexity:
Medical practice valuation challenges: If your spouse owns a share of a medical practice, you need expert business valuation. Is the practice valuable because of the building and equipment (divisible), or because of your spouse's personal reputation (not divisible)? Wisconsin law distinguishes between these forms of goodwill.
Common scenario: Your spouse is a 58-year-old cardiologist with ownership in a practice worth $800,000, a 403(b) worth $500,000, and income of $450,000/year. You supported the family while they completed medical school and residency 30+ years ago. Wisconsin's deviation factors—particularly your contribution to their earning power—may justify more than 50% of marital property plus substantial long-term spousal support.
Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Mequon, Bayside, River Hills, and Elm Grove feature some of Southeastern Wisconsin's most valuable real estate. Your home is likely your largest single asset—and the most emotionally charged.
North Shore and Mequon real estate considerations:
Critical Wisconsin difference: If you owned your Whitefish Bay home before marriage, or inherited it, the original value is individual property. BUT—in Wisconsin, ALL appreciation during marriage is marital property subject to division, whether that appreciation came from market forces (passive) or renovations (active). This differs from states like Ohio that protect passive appreciation of separate property.
Critical decisions:
For those new to finances: Emotional attachment to your home is real and valid—but so is financial reality. We help you model whether keeping the house makes financial sense, or whether selling and downsizing preserves more flexibility and security for your future.
In Milwaukee's Southeastern Wisconsin communities, 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 manufacturing, financial services, or healthcare for 20-30 years, you've likely accumulated wealth through:
Common scenario: Your spouse worked at Johnson Controls for 28 years. You have a $950,000 home in Fox Point, $750,000 in combined retirement accounts, a pension worth $3,800/month, deferred compensation of $200,000, and Northwestern Mutual whole life policies with $150,000 cash value. Under Wisconsin's marital property law, virtually all of this is marital property subject to presumed equal division. How do you divide this fairly while protecting your retirement? Which assets should you prioritize? What are the tax implications?
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—or at all.
Critical questions:
The reality: Maintaining a Whitefish Bay or Mequon lifestyle post-divorce requires substantial income or assets. Property taxes alone can run $15,000-$30,000/year. We help you model different scenarios—keeping the house vs. selling, different support amounts, different asset divisions—so you can make informed decisions about your financial future.
Many of our Milwaukee-area clients—particularly those who focused on homemaking or supporting a spouse's demanding career—have never personally managed manufacturing pensions, deferred compensation, or six-figure investment portfolios.
You're not alone: We help you understand what you have, how it works, and how to manage it going forward. Manufacturing pensions, financial services deferred comp, and healthcare benefits aren't intuitive, but they're learnable. You don't need to become a financial expert overnight—you just need guidance from someone who understands both the financial products AND the emotional journey of gray divorce.
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:
For manufacturing retirees: Some manufacturing pensions include retiree healthcare benefits—this can be worth $10,000-$20,000/year until Medicare. Make sure this is addressed in your divorce settlement.
As a Milwaukee resident, your divorce follows Wisconsin's marital property laws. This is fundamentally different from most states and understanding it is critical:
Wisconsin's marital property framework:
When courts deviate from 50/50 (Wis. Stat. § 767.61):
Example of deviation argument: You're 61, haven't worked outside the home for 28 years, you supported your spouse through law school at Marquette, and you have health issues limiting employment. Your spouse earns $350,000/year at a Milwaukee law firm. A Wisconsin court could deviate from 50/50 and award you 60-65% of marital property to account for these disparities—plus long-term spousal support.
Learn more about Wisconsin's marital property laws and deviation factors →
Wisconsin courts have broad discretion in awarding spousal support (maintenance). For gray divorce in affluent Milwaukee communities, support is often a central issue.
Factors courts consider:
For gray divorce: If you're 55+ and haven't worked outside the home for 25 years while your spouse built a lucrative career at Northwestern Mutual or Harley-Davidson, Wisconsin courts recognize you may never achieve comparable income. Long-term or permanent support becomes more likely—especially when you supported their career advancement.
Support and manufacturing pensions: Courts will consider pension income when calculating support. If your spouse has a $4,000/month pension and you're awarded half the marital portion through a QDRO, that pension income you receive may reduce spousal support. Proper structuring matters enormously.
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout Milwaukee's Southeastern Wisconsin region, including:
Whether you're learning to manage Northwestern Mutual benefits for the first time or protecting decades of manufacturing pension wealth, we provide the education and guidance you need to navigate Milwaukee-area divorce with confidence.
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