Dividing assets is one of the most contentious parts of any divorce. After all, you want to know who gets to keep the house or the car, right? But when you focus only on the bigger and common assets during divorce, it’s easy to overlook the smaller and uncommon ones that are still worth a lot of money.
Before finalizing your divorce, consider these five frequently forgotten assets that might impact your financial future.
Frequent flyer miles
If you or your spouse traveled extensively for business or pleasure, those airline miles and hotel points represent real value you’ve earned throughout your marriage.
Airlines and hotels often value points between 1-2 cents each. This means 500,000 points may equal $5,000 to $10,000 in travel value.
Season tickets
Die-hard sports fans invest serious money in season tickets and seat licenses for their favorite teams. These tickets usually become more valuable over time, especially for popular teams with long waiting lists.
A personal seat license for an NFL team can sell for $10,000 or more, depending on the seat.
Exclusive memberships
Like season tickets, exclusive memberships are also worth a lot. These usually require substantial initiation fees that can reach six figures. Examples of these include premium memberships to:
- Golf and country clubs
- Yacht clubs
- Private members’ clubs
Use of these facilities or venues is a high-value asset that you may want to keep or get compensated for.
Intellectual property rights
Trademarks and other intellectual property generate ongoing income streams that some divorce proceedings overlook. This includes creative works, business methods and even social media accounts with monetization potential.
If either spouse created valuable IP during the marriage, future royalties and licensing fees may count as marital property unless you have a prenup agreement.
Niche collectibles
Certain collectibles can go for astonishing prices in specialty markets. These include:
- Rare trading cards
- Vintage toys
- Limited edition or first-edition items
A single rare baseball card can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. These passion investments can hide in plain sight in closets or albums, with spouses unaware of their actual market value.
Ensure fairness and future financial stability
Finding all marital assets is key to getting a fair divorce settlement. The assets listed above usually slip through standard financial disclosures unless you specifically look for them.
Working with a family law attorney familiar with high-asset divorces helps ensure you find and fairly value everything you’re entitled to. Don’t let valuable assets slip through the cracks during your divorce—what you don’t discover now could cost you financially for years.
