Chapter 25 - THE DIVORCE SETTLEMENTThe divorce took twenty months.
No winner.
Property division did what property division does.
Joint savings.
Retirement.
Furniture.
Tax liabilities.
Julian’s business interest.
My separate family assets.
The lake house remained trust property.
Not divided.
Julian received no ownership.
But his documented marital contributions to improvements were not ignored.
We negotiated an offset.
After depreciation, trust restrictions, lack of preapproval, and traceable joint expenditures, I agreed to a $112,000 marital-property credit in the overall settlement.
Not because he owned the house.
Because marital money had improved a property from which I received exclusive benefit.
Fairness.
I hated the number for a week.
Then accepted it.
Julian kept Mercer Hospitality Design.
I waived any claim to certain appreciation in exchange for other assets.
No alimony after a short transitional period because both of us earned substantial incomes.
Divorce finalized.
Nothing exploded.
No judge read Section Fourteen aloud dramatically.
I signed.
May you like
Julian signed.
Done.
