To do this, a lot of tech start-ups and other companies are embracing employee equity — a system that provides the promise of stock options to an employee who meets certain criteria over time. Employee equity, such as stock options and restricted stock units, can become incredibly valuable assets, depending on the market and how well the company thrives.
Here in lies the issue, however: What happens to restricted stock units in a divorce? It is a reasonable question and one we can answer first by looking at what a restricted stock unit is.
What are restricted stock units (RSUs)?
Unlike traditional stock options that can be bought and sold whenever, restricted stock units, or RSUs, “represent an unsecured promise by the employer to grant a set number of shares of stock to the employee upon the completion of the vesting schedule,” explains a 2016 Investopedia article.
Typically, in order for RSUs to become vested, an employee must meet certain criteria that can include, but are not limited to:
- Reaching certain benchmarks in a job
- Remaining employed with the company for a minimum amount of time
- Receiving a promotion within the company
- Celebrating employment anniversaries
Once these or specified conditions are met, the specified amount of RSUs are vested and they are assigned a fair market value. Typically, they are then distributed to the employee.
Issues surrounding vesting schedules
It is very important for individuals with RSU grants to understand the vesting schedule for their RSUs, especially if they are going through a divorce. While most RSUs give employees a specified amount of shares, they may not all become vested at the same time.
This becomes an incredibly important detail in Maryland divorces, because unvested RSUs, while potentially valuable after vesting, are still an unsecured promise if employment conditions haven’t been met. If an employee terminates employment before meeting these conditions, they will likely have to forfeit their RSUs, making them worthless to the employee and non-employee spouse.
In order to properly value RSUs as a marital assets, employees and non-employee spouses must consider the vesting schedule not just in regards to RSUs that vested during the marriage, but also to determine the potential value of the unvested stock after divorce.
Because Maryland is an equitable distribution state, which means the court has the authority to divide most property acquired during the marriage on the basis of fairness, regardless of which spouse holds title to the property or is current possession of it, complex vesting schedules can require extra work on the part of the divorcing couple, oftentimes requiring help from a family law attorney and/or a CPA as well.
If I can be of assistance, Geoffrey Platnick, please do not hesitate to call me at (240)617-0405.
