Divorce is never easy, but things can get even more complicated when your business is involved. Many businesses are considered martial property. This means that the business needs to be addressed during the asset division portion of the divorce. Valuing and dividing business assets is often complex and contentious. Here are four tips to keep in mind when going through a divorce in DuPage County with a business:

1. Understand the Tax Implications

Understanding how your taxes may be affected by your divorce, especially if you own a business, is essential. You may want to speak with an accountant or tax advisor to ensure you take all the necessary steps to minimize your tax burden. 

2. Create a Financial Plan 

Divorce brings along financial stress, and it is vital to make sure that your finances are in order. Before making any decisions, create a comprehensive financial plan and assess what assets need to be divided. This should include any investments or business interests you share with your spouse. Typically, property that a spouse acquired during a marriage is marital property. Businesses established during the marriage are considered part of the marital estate unless they are excluded through a valid premarital agreement or postnuptial agreement. 

Nobody knows the value of hard work like an Illinois business owner. Businesses require so much investment of time, money, and personal sacrifice that the prospect of dividing your business in a divorce can be gut-wrenching.

Unfortunately, most business owners face the complications of addressing their business in divorce including assessing its value and determining whether it is necessary or even possible to “buy out” their spouse’s share. Here we will try to answer some of the most common questions by small business owners in divorce. It is important to remember that a qualified Illinois divorce attorney is the best source for information about your divorce.

How Do I Know How Much My Business Is Worth?

Valuing a business is one of the trickiest parts of the divorce process. There are three common methods that are used to determine a business’s value, and a business valuation specialist can help you determine which method is best suited to your situation.

In most situations, the divorce process will involve multiple different financial issues that will need to be addressed. When determining how to divide marital property, spouses will need to consider their physical belongings, financial accounts, real estate property, retirement savings and benefits, and debts. Business interests owned by spouses, either together or separately, will be a major factor in these considerations, especially for those who own professional practices. For doctors, dentists, therapists, chiropractors, accountants, or other professionals, a business will not only represent a significant investment of time, money, and effort, but it may also be a primary source of income. Because of this, professionals will usually want to determine how they can continue owning and operating their practice after their divorce is complete.

Addressing Ownership of Professional Practices

Family-owned businesses are treated the same as other types of property, and a professional practice that was founded during a couple’s marriage will be considered a marital asset, while a practice that was owned by one spouse before getting married will usually be considered non-marital property. However, in situations where a spouse contributed money or work that helped a business owned by the other spouse grow or increase in value, the spouse who owns the business may be required to reimburse the other spouse for their contributions.

During the divorce process, a business valuation will need to be performed to determine the full monetary value of a professional practice. Different approaches may be taken during this valuation, including looking at the business’s assets and liabilities, the amount that could be received if the business was sold, or the business’s projected earnings over the next several years. Personal goodwill is another factor that may need to be considered when addressing professional practices. For example, a doctor may have built up a good reputation among their patients, and the value of their practice may be based on their ability to continue to provide medical care to clients.

Business ownership is a key asset that you must include in your divorce. Even if you started your business before you married, the amount that your business increased in value during your marriage will likely be part of your marital property. Calculating the value of your business is a vital step because it will affect how you divide other marital properties. If you wish to maintain complete ownership of your business as part of your divorce, a higher valuation may force you to compensate your spouse with more assets. Business valuation for a divorce can be complicated and requires professionals with experience in both divorce and business.

Choosing a Valuation Method

There are multiple ways that you can calculate the value of your business:

• The asset approach values the assets that a business owns and subtracts the liabilities to calculate its total value.
• The income approach looks at the business’s past profits and cash flow to predict its future income.
• The market approach estimates what the business would be worth in a sale based on the recent sales of similar businesses.

A business evaluator may consider all of the methods, but the valuation method that they rely on the most will depend on the type of business that you own. For instance, the market approach may not be useful if there is not a comparable business that was sold, and the asset approach becomes more difficult if your business has a lot of intangible assets.

The division of properties and debts is one of the main tasks when making a divorce agreement. You may know that a business that one of you owns can be marital property if it was started during your marriage, increased in value during your marriage, or mingled with your personal assets. When a business is a marital property, does that mean that the business’s debts are also marital debts? There are situations in which a business debt could be divided between spouses in a divorce:

1. Your Spouse Cosigned on a Loan: Your spouse clearly shares liability for a business loan if they agreed to do so by cosigning the loan agreement. Your spouse may cosign if they are a partner in your business or if you need to back the loan with your personal finances in order to qualify. As long as your spouse’s name is on the loan contract, the lender will consider them liable for the debt, regardless of whether you decide to divorce.
2. Your Business Does Not Have Limited Liability: The sole proprietor or general partner of a business is personally liable for their business’s debts unless they form the business into a corporation or limited liability company (LLC). Business debts that you are personally liable for will qualify as marital debts in a divorce. You may be expected to take responsibility for paying your business’s debt, but it will be included when calculating how to fairly divide all of your marital debts.
3. You Used Your Business to Receive a Loan for Personal Expenses: A business owner may use their marital assets as collateral to get a business loan. The reverse can also work if you use business assets as collateral for a loan that is meant for personal expenses. For instance, you could use real estate that your business owns as collateral in order to receive a loan to pay for a home renovation project. Though the loan may appear to be a business debt, you can argue that your spouse should share responsibility for paying it because the loan was invested into a marital property.

Contact a DuPage County Divorce Attorney

Whenever you mix business and personal finances, it is important to keep track of where assets came from and how they are used. Otherwise, your spouse can claim ownership rights to business assets or avoid liability for shared debts. A Naperville, Illinois, divorce lawyer at Calabrese Associates, P.C., will work with you to protect your business interests. Schedule a consultation by calling 630-393-3111.

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