Raleigh Division of Stock Options Attorneys

While other assets may be hard to forget when splitting property after a divorce, stock options often go unnoticed — even though they may be the most valuable asset on the table. Stock options are a form of indirect compensation that allows an employee to buy company stock at a later date for a significantly discounted price. If a company grows very quickly, the stock options they were awarded may become quite valuable, in some cases exceeding the value of an employee’s regular salary.

Regardless of which side of the division of stock options you’re on, Marshall & Taylor PLLC can help you protect your rights in a divorce and keep everything that you’re entitled to. Don’t wait. Call Marshall & Taylor PLLC at (919) 833-1040 or contact us online today to consult with our Raleigh division of stock options lawyers.

Do I Need a Division of Stock Options Attorney?

Unless you and your spouse signed a prenuptial agreement stating otherwise, your property and assets will be split in divorce proceedings, either equitably or according to a reached agreement. Unquestionably, stock options are an asset and must be split as well. Typically, divorces are complex, so it’s essential to use an experienced attorney to deal with the financial aspects of divorce.

An attorney can find out whether your spouse has stock options that they may not have initially disclosed, determine the value of those options, and present their findings to the judge. They can advocate for your rights and help you achieve the most satisfactory division of stock options, among other assets.

Why Choose Marshall & Taylor PLLC for My Case?

Marshall & Taylor PLLC has worked in the Raleigh and Wake County area for years, and our attorneys have decades of combined experience. We practice family law exclusively, meaning divorce and property division are our specialties, and we know how tough it can be to go through a divorce. Marshall & Taylor PLLC tries to make the process as easy as possible for you. We have experience with every kind of asset and property, and we understand what the law requires when dividing the tangled web of assets and liabilities from a marriage.

Our lawyers are listed among the top three percent in North Carolina, and we continue to receive excellent testimonials on lawyer-rating sites, such as Avvo.

Division of Stock Options Process

Like other assets, stock options are usually divided in a divorce according to agreed-upon conditions (or equitably if no agreement can be reached). However, stock options have a unique quality that other assets may not: they can be compensation for past work, current work, or future work. In a divorce, only marital property must be divided, which means that property that someone had before their marriage or was given as a gift, known as separate property, is theirs to keep. When stock options are payment for work that was done prior to the marriage, they may be separate property, and the earning spouse will be able to keep them. Similarly, if stock options are an incentive for future work that will be completed after the divorce proceedings, they’re also protected. In most scenarios, stock options will be split partially according to these considerations.

The pricing of stock options is another tricky point that’s best left to an attorney. The inherent value of stock options comes from the difference between a stock’s market price and the option’s strike price, which is the price at which the option holder can buy a share. When options aren’t executable until a later date, there’s some uncertainty in this value.

This leads to yet another complexity to dividing stock options, namely vested versus unvested options. Stock options that can’t be exercised until a later date are called unvested options. For example, a company may give its employees the ability to buy shares at a low set price, but not until 2024. These options are unvested until that time when they become vested. Both vested and unvested options may potentially be divided.

Marshall & Taylor PLLC Will Guide You Through the Process

All of this is a lot to take in, which is why we’re here to help you. Our Raleigh division of assets attorneys have the necessary experience and knowledge to make sure your divorce proceedings are as fair as possible, and we want you to be completely satisfied with our services. Don’t let stock options be an unknown factor in your property and asset division. Contact us at (919) 833-1040 or via our website to speak with one of our representatives about your case today.