Haque Legal · Bloomfield Hills · Oakland County Family Law
When a divorce involves a business, an inheritance, or property owned before the marriage, the fight is usually over two questions: what the asset is worth, and how much of it is marital. Those answers often matter more than any other term in the judgment.
Haque Legal represents business owners, their spouses, and clients with premarital or inherited assets across Oakland County. We work with valuation experts, trace separate property through account records, and challenge valuations that understate or overstate what is really there.
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Reviewed by Fahd S. Haque, Esq., Founder & Principal Attorney · Updated November 5, 2026
A business valuation rests on assumptions about income, owner compensation, and risk. We test those assumptions with qualified experts and with the company's own records.
Premarital savings, inheritances, and down payments can stay separate only if they are traced. We have proved separate-property claims at trial and in negotiation.
Business income can affect both property division and spousal support. We make sure the same income is not counted twice. Spousal support
Property titled to relatives or held overseas needs documents obtained through the case. We handle these matters discreetly. Property overseas
Senior Attorney
The firm’s lead family law attorney, licensed in Michigan since 1993. Divorce, custody, parenting time, and support in the Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb County circuit courts.
Associate Attorney
J.D., Wayne State University Law School. Custody, child support formula calculations, post-judgment modifications, and contested parenting time.
Principal Attorney & Founder
Michigan trial lawyer since 2014. Super Lawyers® Rising Stars 2022–2026. Contested custody, divorce, and property division, prepared as though the case will be tried.
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Divorce
“[Hunter] was my lawyer for my divorce. She was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. Nothing but good things to say about this law firm.”Angela Paladuk, Google review
Michigan divides the marital estate equitably, which is not always equally (MCL 552.19 and MCL 552.23). The court first decides what is marital and what is separate.
Assets owned before the marriage or received by gift or inheritance are generally separate. Michigan courts have long recognized that separate assets can lose that status through commingling or contributions during the marriage (Reeves v Reeves, 226 Mich App 490 (1997)).
A court may award part of separate property when the other spouse's award is insufficient for support (MCL 552.23) or when the other spouse contributed to its acquisition, improvement, or accumulation (MCL 552.401).
Growth in a separate asset caused by either spouse's work during the marriage may be treated as marital, while growth from market forces alone often is not. The facts and the records decide which applies.
A business owner and a spouse can see the same company very differently. The owner may see a fragile business that depends on them; the spouse may see the lifestyle it has funded. A neutral or well-supported valuation turns that disagreement into numbers both sides can test.
For separate property, the work is documentary. Statements from the date of marriage, inheritance records, and account histories show whether an asset stayed separate or was mixed with marital funds. The earlier those records are gathered, the stronger the claim.
Tax returns, financial statements, K-1s, operating agreements, and account histories.
An expert valuation of the business and a tracing of premarital and inherited funds.
A buyout, offset, or structured payments that work for the business and both households.
Each issue affects the others. A high business value may mean a smaller share of other assets for the owner, or a structured buyout over time.
Income, market, and asset-based approaches, adjusted for owner compensation and one-time items. The valuation date can matter in a growing or declining business.
A business started before the marriage may still have a marital component if it grew because of either spouse's work during the marriage.
Depositing inherited or premarital funds into joint accounts, or using them for the marital home, can make them harder to trace. Property division
Business income, perks, and retained earnings affect spousal and child support. The same income should not be counted twice.
Most owners keep the business and pay the other spouse through other assets or structured payments. Terms need security if paid over time.
A valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement may decide how a business or separate asset is treated. Prenuptial agreements
Also see: High-asset divorce · Gray divorce · Divorce without children · Property overseas
For court locations, Friend of the Court contacts, and local procedures, see our Oakland County Family Court guide.
The value at the date of marriage is generally separate. Growth during the marriage may be marital, especially if it resulted from either spouse's work or marital funds. The records and the valuation decide how much.
Possibly. Contributions such as managing the household, supporting the owner's work, or marital funds invested in the business can matter. Michigan courts look at contributions broadly.
Generally, yes, if it was kept separate and can be traced. Depositing it into joint accounts or using it for the marital home can make it harder to protect.
Usually a qualified business appraiser or forensic accountant. Each side may hire its own expert, or the parties may agree on one. The judge decides between competing valuations if the case goes to trial.
Yes. Business records relevant to value and income are discoverable in a divorce. Confidentiality can be addressed with protective orders where appropriate.
Rarely. Most owners keep the business and pay the other spouse through other assets or structured payments. The terms of that payment are what usually need negotiation.
Yes. The court looks at real income, which can include perks and retained earnings. Care is needed so the same income is not counted both in the business value and in support.
A valid agreement often decides how a business or separate asset is treated. Its enforceability depends on disclosure, fairness, and circumstances at signing and at divorce.
Yes. The initial consultation is free. We explain fees for your situation at that meeting, before you decide whether to hire the firm.
Official references: MCL 552.19, property division · MCL 552.23, support and property · MCL 552.401, contribution to separate property · MCL 552.9f, waiting periods · Oakland County Family Division
Bring business tax returns and financial statements for the last three years, operating or shareholder agreements, statements showing premarital or inherited funds, and any prenuptial agreement. You do not need every record before speaking with us.
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