Real Property and Protecting Your Clients During Divorce

Real property land mines come in many shapes and sizes. A surprise mortgage default, a changing market, or surprise liens can derail even the steadiest divorce case. They can sabotage settlements - and can prevent many important fees (including attorney fees!) from being paid on time. 

Maybe they want to buy their spouse out. Is that even possible? Do they have the income and credit to make it happen? If they do determine that they need to sell, can they? Do the family law orders support the sale or do they undermine the very thing they are supposed to facilitate? 

That’s where a real property expert comes in. A real property expert can guide you through the impact of the real estate market on your practice. As the real estate market changes, houses can linger on the market longer. More showings can be required to get the same house sold. Foreclosures can loom as a bigger threat. This results in shakier transactions — and a less certain business future for attorneys who are getting paid out of the results of transactions.

They can also help to guide your client through qualifying for a buyout and doing their due diligence when it comes to making potentially costly choices regarding their home. When your client is asking these questions make sure you’re reaching out to a Certified Divorce Real Estate expert. Just like any other part of the case, real property deserves its own expert. From keeping you educated on current real property issues to being a resource for matters that arise in your cases, a CDRE™ has a streamlined process for mitigating and preventing conflict, so that the sale of the house can occur and the parties can maximize the return from their biggest financial asset.

For complimentary access to this month’s Ilumni Institute, continuing legal education for family law professionals presentation visit www.RTheBar.com and use my Guest Pass “BarbaraCDRE”.