New York court upholds wife's $6.83m divorce award involving business stakes
A New York appeals court has upheld a $6.83 million divorce settlement for Shirley Atkins, which includes stakes in her ex-husband's utility construction business. The ruling concludes a legal dispute over the distribution of marital assets, including business interests and stock sale payments.
Why it matters
This case illustrates the complexities of dividing business assets and equity during high-net-worth divorce proceedings.
A New York couple who married in 1993 and operated several businesses during their marriage have had their divorce-related property settlement upheld by an appeals court. On October 22, 2026, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed a judgment awarding Shirley F. Atkins $6,833,448 from the marital estate following her divorce from James C. Atkins. According to the court’s decision in Atkins v. Atkins, published by Justia, the award included a share of the husband’s interest in Northline Ventures, a utility construction business, payments from a stock sale and interests in two other companies. Both spouses had challenged aspects of the distribution.How the couple’s business interests became part of the divorceJames and Shirley Atkins married in 1993 and have two adult children.
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