A high net worth Florida divorce is governed by the same statute as any other dissolution, Fla. Stat. ch. 61, but the work is different. Identifying, characterizing, and valuing the estate drives the outcome. RNC Legal handles dissolutions involving closely held businesses, real estate portfolios, equity compensation, and privacy-sensitive circumstances throughout Florida.
What Makes a High Asset Divorce Different
Florida applies one framework to every dissolution. Under Fla. Stat. § 61.075 the court identifies the marital and nonmarital assets and liabilities, values the marital portion, and distributes it equitably — beginning from a premise of roughly equal division and departing from it only on statutory factors supported by written findings.
What changes in a large estate is not the rule but the work required to apply it. In a straightforward case the assets are a home, two vehicles, and a retirement account, and the numbers are not seriously disputed. In a complex estate, the disagreement is rarely about the law. It is about what the business is worth, whether an asset is marital at all, how much of a nonmarital asset became marital through commingling or effort during the marriage, and what the other side has not disclosed.
That reframes the case. Discovery, forensic accounting, and valuation become the center of gravity, and the result often turns on work completed months before any hearing.
Identifying and Characterizing the Estate
Characterization comes before valuation, and it is frequently where the largest sums move. An asset owned before the marriage, or received by gift or inheritance during it, generally starts as nonmarital. But that status is not permanent. Marital funds or marital effort applied to a nonmarital asset can convert part of its value, or its appreciation, into marital property subject to division.
Common pressure points in Florida high asset cases include a business founded before the marriage but grown during it, a premarital residence whose mortgage was paid with marital earnings, inherited funds deposited into a joint account, and retirement accounts that straddle the marriage date.
Florida law also addresses assets that disappear. Under Fla. Stat. § 61.075 a court may account for the intentional dissipation, waste, depletion, or destruction of marital assets within the two years before the petition was filed, or after filing. Spending patterns in that window are worth examining early.
Discovery and Financial Disclosure
Florida requires mandatory financial disclosure in dissolution proceedings, including a sworn financial affidavit and the supporting documents specified by the family law rules. In a modest case that disclosure resolves most questions. In a complex case it is the starting point.
Where income runs through closely held entities, where compensation includes equity or deferred components, or where the tracing of nonmarital property is contested, the disclosure usually needs to be tested: entity records, tax returns, loan applications prepared when a party had reason to state value accurately, bank and brokerage records, and depositions of the people who keep the books.
We approach disclosure as a litigation task rather than a paperwork exercise, because in large estates the difference between what is produced and what exists is where cases are won.
Privacy in a Public Court File
Florida court files are presumptively public. For clients whose circumstances draw attention, that is a substantive concern rather than a cosmetic one, and it is worth planning for before the first filing.
Several mechanisms reduce exposure. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 governs confidentiality of court records and specifies what is confidential and how to seek it. Sensitive financial material can often be exchanged under a confidentiality agreement or protective order rather than filed. Mediation and collaborative or private resolution keep terms out of the public record entirely. Marital settlement agreements can be structured so that the detail stays in an incorporated document rather than the face of the judgment.
No approach makes a Florida dissolution fully private, and we do not suggest otherwise. What is realistic is deliberate control over what enters the file and when.
| Issue | Florida position |
|---|---|
| Governing law | Fla. Stat. ch. 61 — the same framework applies regardless of estate size |
| Distribution standard | Equitable distribution under § 61.075, beginning from roughly equal |
| Residency | One party must reside in Florida for six months before filing (§ 61.021) |
| Grounds | No-fault; the marriage is irretrievably broken (§ 61.052) |
| Dissipation | Waste of marital assets within two years before filing may be accounted for |
| Court file | Presumptively public; confidentiality is governed by Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.420 |
| Fees | Contingency fees are prohibited in dissolution matters (R. Regulating Fla. Bar 4-1.5(f)(3)) |
Matters We Handle
- Dissolutions involving closely held and professional businesses
- Real estate portfolios, investment property, and jointly titled holdings
- Executive compensation — equity awards, deferred compensation, and bonuses
- Tracing and characterization of premarital, gifted, and inherited assets
- Forensic accounting and dissipation claims
- Retirement accounts, pensions, and qualified domestic relations orders
- Marital settlement agreement drafting and negotiation
- Privacy-sensitive representation and confidentiality planning
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a high net worth divorce in Florida handled under different law?
No. Florida applies Fla. Stat. ch. 61 to every dissolution. What differs is the depth of discovery, the need for valuation and forensic work, and the complexity of characterizing assets that have both marital and nonmarital components.
Does Florida split everything fifty-fifty?
Florida is an equitable distribution state, not a community property state. Section 61.075 begins from a premise of roughly equal division of marital assets and liabilities, but a court may distribute unequally based on statutory factors, and it must support that with written findings. Nonmarital property is generally not divided at all.
Can my spouse reach a business I owned before the marriage?
Possibly in part. The business itself may remain nonmarital, but increases in its value during the marriage can become marital where they resulted from marital funds or from either spouse’s effort during the marriage. Passive appreciation attributable to market forces alone is treated differently from growth driven by work.
How private is a Florida divorce?
Florida court files are presumptively public. Confidentiality is governed by Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, and sensitive financial material can often be handled through protective orders, confidentiality agreements, or private resolution rather than public filing. Complete privacy is not available, but exposure can be substantially limited with planning.
Do you handle these cases on a contingency fee?
No. The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar prohibit contingency fees in dissolution of marriage matters. Family law engagements at RNC Legal are handled on clear, written fee arrangements agreed before work begins.
Notable Representation
Selected matters from Ryan N. Chae’s practice, described in general terms.
- Government of Bermuda Served as Special Outside Counsel to the Government of Bermuda.
- Complex Divorce Estates Represented clients in dissolution of marriage matters involving marital estates exceeding $100 million.
- Private Counsel to Public Figures Private counsel to public figures and professional athletes in matters requiring heightened confidentiality.
- Florida Real Estate Handled Florida real estate transactions and disputes involving millions of dollars in property value.
These entries describe the nature and scale of matters handled. They omit names and identifying details to protect client confidentiality, and they are not a description of, or a prediction or guarantee of, any particular result. Every case is different, and a prospective client may not obtain the same or similar results.
Family matters are decided on documents and dates as much as on argument. Bring what you have and we will tell you candidly where you stand. Consultations are free and confidential.
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