divorce

My First Book Coming in Five Weeks!

I’m so excited I finally get to share this with you!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I specialize in helping professionals and business owners navigate challenging divorces while keeping their lives and their systems intact. Divorce can be one of the most destructive events in a professional’s life, but it doesn’t have to be, and I enjoy helping people avoid the worst outcomes that keep them up at night.

As I’ve done this over the years, so many people have reached out asking for advice on how to overcome the fear, frustration, and loss from a combative divorce. Too many professionals feel there is no hope to come out of a divorce with a successful career or business. Many have been conditioned to believe that total loss is not only normal but unavoidable. All the people I speak with, both online and in private, are struggling to find a better way through the quagmire of divorce to preserve not only their financial security but also their relationships with their children.

Through the countless discussions I’ve had with clients, and through years of working with private businesses, I finally realized what people need: A personal step-by-step guide that shows you how to navigate divorce without losing everything. And that’s what I’m sharing with you. My new book, I Just Want This Done, is the result of all my years of professional guidance. Over the next few weeks, as I polish this guide to perfection, I’m going to share with you how to escape from the destructive trap of divorce and preserve your relationships and career.

No matter where you find yourself in the divorce process, or what relationship dynamics you struggle with, you can protect your career, business, and future. I’ve got the experience and the guide to help you make it happen.

And we’re just getting started. There’s so much more.

Amazon Link for I Just Want This Done.

You’ll hear from me soon with more details . . . 

Restricted Stock Units (“RSU”) treated like Stock Options by Illinois Divorce Court

In Re Marriage of Micheli, 2014 IL App (2d) 121245 (July 31, 2014)

In this case, the trial court divided all marital assets equally, including vested stock options, but then awarded all unvested stock options and Restricted Stock Units (“RSU”) to the husband.

Restricted Stock Units, like options, are a form of deferred compensation from an employer. The units are awarded to an employee, and when the restriction terminates, the RSUs become common stock. The RSUs yield dividends to the employee before they vest.

The Appellate Court reversed, holding that awarding all unvested options and RSUs to the husband was an abuse of discretion. To explain, trial courts have fairly wide latitude or “discretion” to award marital property equitably to parties in divorce, but there are limits to this discretion.

The Appellate Court reasoned that all unvested options must be apportioned at the time of judgment, just like stock options as set forth in Illinois law at 750 ILCS 5/503(b)(3). It further held that RSUs were analogous to options and therefore also needed to be divided between the parties as well.

The trial court stated “The uncertainty of the values of the unvested stock options and RSUs is not an impediment to an equitable distribution when they become vested.”

If you need assistance with a new divorce or would like a second opinion in an ongoing case, please contact our office to schedule a phone or in person consultation with me at 630.665.7676.