Modern Technology Makes Asset Division More Complicated than Ever

Trust our team of expert attorneys in Manhattan and Brooklyn to help win your case.

Considering the major impact technology has on the lives of most people today, it should come as no surprise that it can also affect modern divorce cases. Not only do many expensive technological products have to be divided as assets, but now there are assets that are not easily shared among two people during divorce. Get to know a few different twists technology brings to the modern divorce.

EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO BE SPLIT UP

In the past, the main technology-based asset that needed to be distributed was the television. But now most households have more than just a TV or two. It is not uncommon for couples to share a variety of technology items. For example, most people have their own desktop computer or laptop, as well as their own smartphone, so these should be easy to split up.

But couples might share gaming consoles and tablets, both of which cost several hundred dollars. Various factors will go into figuring out who gets these assets. It depends on if your state is a community property location, in which case anything you bought during the marriage is considered both yours and your spouse’s. If you both share the products equally and both want to keep them, you can expect to spend some time in negotiations to figure out who gets which assets.

VIRTUAL ITEMS CAN BE HARD TO SHARE

If you play video games, you have likely made some in-game purchases using real money. For instance, you might have bought items for your character, or purchased credits within the game. You and your spouse might be able to agree on who gets the console and the video game, but then you need to determine who gets the gaming account. Even if your spouse does not use it, he or she may still want it if it is valuable in any way, so be prepared to fight for your gaming accounts. Clearly, couples of the past did not have this same issue during divorce.

In addition, some modern couples share social networking accounts. If this describes you and your spouse, you need to decide who gets to keep the account, and who has to make a new one. You might have a lot of friends and even favorite games linked to the account, so it should not be hard to see why some couples end up fighting over social media.

If you think splitting up the technology in your life will be an issue during your divorce, you should talk to a lawyer. You deserve the help of someone who has experience in this area, since otherwise you might spend months arguing over who gets expensive gaming consoles, tablets, and even gaming accounts. You can likely come to a compromise when you have a professional guiding you in the right direction, which is why a divorce lawyer is often a good idea, especially if you have lots of technology to divide up.

Top New York Divorce Attorneys

Schedule a Consultation Today

Scroll to Top