High-Asset Divorce in Missouri: Business, Farms, Real Estate & More

Mediation and Settlement Options

Not all high-asset divorces need to be resolved in court. Mediation is a practical and cost-effective option that allows couples to resolve disputes in a structured but informal setting. It’s especially useful in divorces involving:

  • Significant wealth or property

  • Business ownership

  • High-conflict custody disputes

Through mediation, spouses retain more control over the outcome and avoid the time, stress, and expense of a trial. At Lotspeich Law, LLC, we work with experienced mediators to help you reach a resolution that aligns with your long-term goals.

What Makes High-Asset Divorces Unique?

High-net-worth divorces often include a variety of complex assets that demand a higher level of legal and financial analysis. Some of the most common examples include:

  • Business Interests: Closely held corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietorships.

  • Farming Operations: Multi-acre properties, livestock, equipment, and income-producing farmland.

  • Investments & Retirement Accounts: IRAs, 401(k)s, brokerage accounts, stock options, and deferred compensation.

  • Real Estate Holdings: Commercial properties, vacation homes, and rental units across multiple jurisdictions.

  • Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements: Challenges to the validity or interpretation of existing agreements.

These cases often involve forensic accounting, business valuations, and tax planning to ensure an equitable outcome.

High Net Worth Divorce in Missouri

Divorce is rarely simple—and when significant assets are involved, the process can quickly become more complex and contentious. If you and your spouse have accumulated over $1 million in assets, your divorce is considered a high-net-worth divorce, and it requires a thoughtful, strategic approach to protect your interests.

At Lotspeich Law, LLC, we understand the financial, legal, and emotional complexities that come with high-asset divorces. We provide the experience and resources needed to navigate these challenging cases with precision and care.

Premarital Agreements (Prenups)

A premarital agreement can be one of the most effective tools in protecting your financial future. A properly executed prenup helps clarify which assets remain separate property, outlines financial expectations, and minimizes costly disputes in the event of divorce.

However, prenups can still be challenged during divorce proceedings—especially if they were poorly drafted or signed under pressure. Our firm provides comprehensive counsel on enforcing, defending, or contesting premarital agreements and will ensure your rights are protected under Missouri law.

Complex Asset Division

Missouri is an equitable distribution state, which means marital property is divided fairly—but not always equally—between spouses. In high-net-worth cases, identifying what qualifies as marital versus separate property and assigning accurate valuations to each asset is essential.

Marital property typically includes any income, assets, or property acquired during the marriage, with limited exceptions for gifts and inheritances. High-value cases often involve:

  • Multiple income streams

  • Significant investment portfolios

  • Business ownership and partnerships

  • Real estate in multiple locations

  • High-value retirement and pension accounts

Proper classification and valuation of these assets often require collaboration with accountants, appraisers, and financial analysts.

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    Employing Experts

    Determining the value of assets can be a complicated process involving expert valuations and opinions. These experts must have access to pertinent documentation, conduct research, and prepare a valuation or appraisal report that can be presented in court. The expert may be expected to testify in court as to how they reached the values they placed on the assets.  It’s often best to employ experts early in the case.

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    Tax Considerations

    Distributing property with high values can trigger a myriad of tax considerations. Often, a CPA or tax attorney will need to be brought in to determine the tax implications of certain property distributions. How the distribution will be affected by governing tax laws can affect how the parties divide the property.  What might appear to be a fair 50/50 split of assets and debts may not be fair when taking into account tax implications.

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    Complex Child Support

    A court decides child support based on several factors, including but not limited to the gross income of both parents, cost of health insurance, and number of overnights spent with each parent. Self-employed individuals can more easily hide their income, especially with large cash transactions. Their income may also change significantly each month, making it harder to get a clear view of their finances. As a result, evaluating the income of self-employed people is often more complicated than for those with regular paychecks or W2 forms.
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    Alimony (Spousal Maintenance)

    Alimony, referred to as maintenance in Missouri, is sometimes involved in high-asset divorces. Often, there may be a financially dependent spouse because one spouse has concentrated their time on growing the family's wealth while the other spent all their time raising children and caring for the home. The parties can either agree to the length of time and amount of maintenance or the court will decide the award, if any. The court considers various factors, such as the age of the spouse needing maintenance, length of the marriage, length of time it will take for a spouse to become self-supporting, and the ability of the other spouse to pay maintenance.

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Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation and learn how we can help you navigate your divorce with clarity and confidence.

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FAQs

  • High net worth divorces can often take a fairly long time to complete successfully. It’s not uncommon for this to take more than a year. This extended duration is mainly due to the significant amount of documentation and various forms of paperwork that must be meticulously reviewed to accurately determine exactly how much value the property owned by the couple is worth.

  • Forensic accountants, business valuation experts, and tax specialists may need to take an in-depth look into the financial records and determine precise asset values. I recommend reviewing our blog posts to learn more.

  • For a high net worth divorce, you could be looking at a minimum of one year before the divorce is officially finalized. In some particularly complex cases, it can take several years to reach a resolution. As an experienced divorce lawyer based in Warrensburg, Missouri, I possess the know-how, skills, and resources necessary to understand what to look for and how to effectively move the divorce process along with minimal hiccups and delays.

Let’s get this sorted out, together.

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Office:

511 Foster Ln, Warrensburg, MO 64093

Located conveniently in the Warrensburg Medical District, just off Burkharth and Gay streets. We’re right behind the Warrensburg Internal Medicine Office.