Whether it’s a diner, a construction company, an Esty shop, or a hedge fund, divorces become thorny when spouses are in business together. When it comes to equitable distribution of assets, the courts are not in the business of leaving jointly owned property in place — their job is to divide. And as some wise jurists sometimes warn divorcing couples, settlement allows a much more nuanced approach — “lawyers cut with a scalpel; the court cuts with a cleaver.”

Ultimately, the options are limited when the spouses are in business together. The unhappy couple can stay in business together, do a one-party buyout, sell the business outright or shut it down.