High-asset divorces in West Virginia involve much more than dividing a house and retirement accounts. Country club memberships, pricey collections, and season tickets to sports and cultural events often represent tens of thousands of dollars in value. West Virginia courts must determine whether these items count as marital property and how to split them fairly.
What assets are on the line?
Many divorcing couples don’t realize what’s actually on the table. Beyond the obvious assets, courts may need to divide:
- Country club and golf club memberships
- Season tickets to WVU football or theaters
- Timeshares and vacation club memberships
- Boat slips and marina memberships
- Private collections of wine or art
- Hunting club memberships and other exclusive privileges
These items may seem personal, but they often carry substantial financial value.
How West Virginia divides property
West Virginia follows equitable distribution, meaning courts divide marital property fairly, not necessarily equally. One spouse might keep the country club membership while the other receives an equivalent asset like investment accounts. If the membership can be sold, you might split the proceeds.
Determining whether these assets are marital or separate can be tricky, though. For instance, a club membership purchased during the marriage with joint funds typically counts as marital property, but those coveted WVU season tickets you’ve held for years may be separate if you acquired them before you were married.
When dividing these assets, the court looks at factors like when and how you acquired these assets, each spouse’s income, contributions to the marriage and who can actually use the asset going forward.
What makes these so complicated?
Figuring out value gets complicated fast. That country club membership you bought 15 years ago for $50,000 might now be worth double that amount. Season tickets to WVU football often require substantial annual donations on top of face value. A boat slip at a popular lake might have a years-long waitlist, making it far more valuable than the original purchase price.
Other thorny issues arise with non-transferable memberships and the varying value of a complete collection versus individual pieces.
Skilled legal and financial analysis can be essential in establishing ownership and assigning fair value.
Walking away with what matters
The stakes in these West Virginia divorces extend beyond dollar amounts. These memberships often represent your social network, business connections and lifestyle. The key is addressing these items early in negotiations and with the help of your attorneys.
