Zuckerberg's perfect timing likely to make asset division easier

Facebook's co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, married Priscilla Chan one day after Facebook went public. Zuckerberg is currently worth an estimated $20 billion. Though there has been no confirmation, many financial and divorce professionals believe the social media guru signed a prenuptial agreement with his wife.

Though the couple resides in a state that has different divorce laws than Minnesota, the decision to sign a prenuptial agreement is still a wise idea for business leaders within our state. Minnesota is an equal division state where, in a divorce, former spouses generally get half of all property and assets acquired during the marriage.

According to divorce lawyers, Zuckerberg's marriage was timely and could protect a large share of his assets regardless of whether or not the couple signed a prenuptial agreement. Because Facebook went public one day prior to Zuckerberg's wedding, his stock is considered his own property, unless earnings are deposited into a joint bank account.

Yet without a pre-nuptial agreement, Zuckerberg's wife could be entitled to Zuckerberg's Facebook stock options. Zuckerberg currently has not exercised 60 million of his 120 million shares in the company. The options could net him approximately $2 billion when he exercises them. These stock options are considered marital property, which will be subject to equal division in the event of property division.

High-asset marriages can result in complications as it relates to asset division. High-profile couples tend to opt for a prenuptial agreement to protect business assets and avoid a difficult, acrimonious split. This is one of the primary reasons many people are very curious to see whether Zuckerberg and his wife opted to sign a prenuptial agreement.

Contracts like prenuptial agreements can help a person protect assets and plan for the future in the event that a marriage does not work out. A family law advocate with experience dealing with property valuations and the complex issues that surround property division in divorce can help couples work through any financial disputes in order to reach a final divorce settlement that is fair and respects the needs of both parties.

Source: CNN Money, "Where Zuckerberg would be without a prenup," Jessica Dickler, May 21, 2012