Masters in Business At The Money: Divorce Planning for the Ultra Wealthy
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Mar 18, 2026 
Patrick Kilbane, General Counsel at Ullman Wealth Partners and former divorce attorney who leads their Divorce Advisory Group. He explores privacy strategies and NDAs, how common mistakes scale with wealth, valuing illiquid assets and founder stock, handling RSUs and deferred pay, coordinating advisors and protecting assets through titling and insurance.
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Ultra Wealthy Divorces Mirror Ordinary Ones
- Celebrity and billionaire divorces are structurally similar to ordinary divorces despite bigger numbers.
- The main extra issue is privacy and media exposure, so parties often collaborate to settle quietly to avoid press scrutiny.
Don't Untie Complex Estate Plans Hastily
- Avoid replicating small mistakes at scale because a minor tax or allocation error becomes huge with billionaire sums.
- Review estate planning vehicles (SLATs, GRATs, etc.) before unraveling them to prevent unintended tax or value losses.
Plan Liquidity Needs Before Selling Big Assets
- Address liquidity early: determine if assets must be sold to fund settlements and model tax consequences and timing.
- Cooperate to reduce tax liabilities where possible and prioritize maximizing the total marital estate.