Defining A Post-Marital Investment Structure

Sand Hill Advisors has assisted hundreds of clients in navigating this most difficult period in order to transition to a sound financial footing. Consider what we did for Janice.*

During her marriage, Janice relied on her husband, Bill,* and their professional advisors to look out for her interests in the family’s complex package of assets. That package consisted of stock and options from her husband’s successful IPO, the family home and their retirement funds. Knowing that Sand Hill Advisors’ expertise in Divorce Financial Consulting would help Janice to understand her financial situation and determine an equitable division of the family assets, Janice’s divorce attorney referred her to us.

Comprehensive Needs Evaluation

Janice had left her career to raise the couple’s children and over time had become less involved in their finances. She now felt out of touch with their investments, the markets and the lingo that Bill and the attorneys were using as they discussed the situation.

The first thing we did was to conduct a Comprehensive Needs Evaluation. This included helping Janice understand the nature of their investments and the market and to determine the marital status of living and Janice’s tolerance for risk. We then worked with Janice and Bill to do a community property division analysis in order to determine what was there, who owned what and how the assets could be split fairly, with the least tax impact. Further, we worked with Janice and Bill to help them recognize their different needs and objectives, which in turn meant they had different assumptions for the division of their assets. Through these efforts, Sand Hill Advisors was able to help Janice and Bill reach an equitable division that met both their needs.

Portfolio Creation and Growth With a Wealth Management Team

Once the divorce settlement was reached, Janice continued her relationship with Sand Hill Advisors. A member of the Sand Hill Advisors wealth management team stepped in as her personal advisor. Janice’s wealth manager identified a team of legal and tax professionals whose expertise was well matched to her specific needs. After determining her cash-flow needs, Janice’s wealth management team developed an investment portfolio that included a risk-appropriate blend of individual securities, bonds, mutual funds, cash and alternative investments.