A contested divorce can be a mess of emotions and defensive actions that often leaves one or both parties in a stressful financial situation at the end of the day. Between changes in marital status, the amount of income coming into a single home, and legal fees owed to representation, financial recovery can seem like an impossible feat.

Divorce is a process that is both liberating and complex for a couple that accumulated several assets throughout a marriage. While many people often look no further than the family home or shared bank accounts during asset division, some divorcing couples have to make tougher choices that could influence their livelihood itself.