How to Turn a Divorce Home Sale into a Total Disaster (and How to Avoid It)

A cautionary tale for family law attorneys on protecting client equity and avoiding real estate pitfalls

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a divorce home sale into a total disaster, I recently witnessed a masterclass.

The recipe was simple:
Start with one single-family hillside property in disrepair. Add years of deferred maintenance and unrealistic pricing expectations. Mix in two uncooperative spouses, a co-listing agent, and a falling market. Sprinkle in the challenge of fire-zone insurance for extra spice. Then, ignore every strong recommendation your real estate agent provides.

The result? Months of stress, lost money, and unnecessary friction for everyone involved.

Here’s what went wrong—and how you, as family law counsel, can help your clients avoid the same fate when selling a home during divorce.

1. Deferred Maintenance Is Expensive

When sellers ignore necessary repairs and the strategic recommendations I provide before going to market, it costs them. Buyers see deferred maintenance as an invitation to negotiate hard—or to walk away entirely.

Attorney tip: Encourage your clients to listen to the professionals they hire. The time and money spent addressing key items upfront almost always save much more later and protect client equity.

2. One Clear Point of Contact Minimizes Chaos

This sale had a co-listing setup. Every decision, showing, and piece of feedback got delayed or lost in translation. In a divorce, where communication is already strained, co-listing creates confusion and slows everything down.

Attorney tip: Make sure there is one clear lead agent who can implement the strategy, communicate efficiently, and keep the process moving forward. It’s one of the simplest ways to avoid real estate pitfalls in divorce.

3. Defer to the Agent on Timing

One of the biggest mistakes in this case was forcing the listing to go live at the wrong time, and entertaining offers before the market had a chance to respond. A strong agent will have a plan for both listing timing and offer review that creates the best possible result.

Attorney tip: Remind your clients to let the real estate professional drive the timing. A little patience usually leads to a much cleaner, faster sale and a higher net.

The Bottom Line

Divorce sales are emotional and complex. A smooth process does not happen by accident—it happens when clients take professional advice and trust the process.

If your goal is to protect your client’s equity and minimize friction, these three steps make all the difference:

1. Handle key deferred maintenance before listing.
2. Work with one clear point of contact.
3. Let the real estate professional guide timing and strategy.

The smoother the sale, the faster your case moves toward resolution, and the better your client’s financial outcome.

I specialize in helping divorcing homeowners in Beverly Hills and across LA’s Westside navigate the sale process, steering clear of pitfalls, avoiding chaos, and keeping the focus on protecting their equity. If you or your clients are handling a divorce home sale and want to protect both equity and peace of mind, I’m here to help.