Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

When a Partner Divorces

By Robert D. Boyd and Brooke M. French
January 31, 2016

Going through a divorce can be tumultuous for everyone involved. When one of the parties is a partner in a law firm, those challenges are sometimes elevated for both the partner and the law firm. If you happen to be that partner, open communication with your spouse and your law firm is essential to minimize conflict with your spouse and maintain your relationship with your firm. If you are the law firm, working with the partner to protect the firm and its clients, while understanding the personal challenges the partner faces, will minimize the disruption to the firm and its clients.

As a partner divorcing his or her spouse, it is vital to be as transparent as possible regarding financial information. When you are a partner in a law firm, it is common for a spouse to request documentation about the law firm itself, such as the partnership agreement, revenue reports, tax returns, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and information about equity and non-equity partnership. If you are cooperative with your spouse regarding production of information about your income and financial interest in the law firm, you may be able to avoid involving the law firm directly.

For example, when responding to discovery (or your spouse's informal requests), provide complete tax returns and supporting documentation, rather than just the first two pages of the return; provide entire account statements rather than just the summary page; and provide monthly credit card statements rather than just the yearly summary. The more information that the partner provides directly (remember transparency), the less inclined the partner's spouse may be to issue a subpoena to the law firm. After all, no one should want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Spurred By Data Breaches, CLOs Are Increasing Cybersecurity Leadership Role Image

Chief information officers still bear the brunt of cybersecurity worries at many companies. But a study by the Association of Corporate Counsel Foundation finds that chief legal officers are increasingly taking a leadership role in cybersecurity strategy.

GCs Want to Tap Into AI But Lack Roadmap, Report Shows Image

General counsel are eager to tap the promise of generative AI. But without clear technology road maps, many legal departments are struggling to turn that interest into action.

Is Google Search Dead? The Key to Thriving In an AI-Driven World Image

Part Two of this two-part articleexamines practical steps marketers must take to succeed in this changing landscape by embracing a multichannel, AI-driven approach to their marketing and PR efforts. This means rethinking your strategy to build direct connections with your audience, using platforms that elevate your visibility and focusing on storytelling that resonates.

Shifting Crypto and Cyber Enforcement Priorities In SEC Image

When the SEC issues the next annual enforcement report for fiscal year 2025, we expect securities offering actions and investment adviser actions will almost certainly be up, and the “crypto” and “cyber” cases will almost certainly be down. Public statements by the new SEC administration have said as much, but even more telling than public statements are the allocation of limited enforcement resources.

Seventh, Ninth Court Rulings Tighten Reach of Federal Video Privacy Protection Act Image

The VPPA may be nearly four-decades old and video-rental stores largely a thing of the past, but the rise of online content, streaming services and ancillary activities has brought with it frequent litigation based on the VPPA. The key challenge in these litigations is how to interpret the VPPA’s 1980s terms in light of today’s digital advances.