Keeping a marriage together is difficult in a perfect world and even more challenging in the public eye. Divorce is not always a favorable marriage outcome for anyone. The divorce process can be emotionally and financially draining. Unfortunately, being a celebrity means many people follow your life and relationships. Therefore, your divorce is likely to happen in a public forum.
The need to protect your reputation and your sizable marital estate differentiates celebrity divorces from divorces among common people. High-profile divorces are rising in California, and the stressful litigation process comes with the highly publicized separations.
When handling your celebrity divorce, you will require the expert guidance of a divorce attorney. At Los Angeles Divorce Lawyer, we will guide you on proper and private ways to handle different issues that arise in a divorce, like alimony, child support, and property distribution. We serve clients seeking legal insight to battle a divorce in Los Angeles, CA.
Celebrity Divorce in California
The lives of celebrities are always in the limelight, and a bump in their relationships becomes public news. Many people believe that celebrities do not respect the sanctity of matrimony, which is not always the case. Many factors, including gossip and exaggeration by the media, may influence marriage in the public eye.
Most celebrities have busy schedules and are constantly traveling, making spending time with their loved ones difficult. This can strain their relationships and lead to a divorce. Celebrities and people in the limelight have feelings like others, and a divorce will affect them as much.
Some of the factors that differentiate a celebrity divorce from a divorce between average couples include:
Economic Considerations
Property division is a significant part of the dispute in any divorce. Although it may be easier for celebrities to divorce from an economic standpoint, the proceedings may take longer due to the nature of the assets obtained during the marriage. Some celebrity divorces happen after a few years of marriage, making it difficult for some people to come to terms with the 50/50 property division.
Most celebrities have multiple income sources, and much money is invested. Therefore, finding these properties and planning on the right division criteria will be challenging. If you are a celebrity considering divorce or have been served with divorce papers, you will require the guidance of a knowledgeable divorce attorney.
Prenuptial Agreements
A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract that couples enter before marriage. The agreement sets forth each spouse’s financial rights to the property in case of separation or divorce. Most celebrities begin to protect their assets and income even before entering marriage. Prenuptial agreements are aimed at:
- Avoiding liability for the financial burdens of your spouse after a divorce.
- Protecting premarital assets.
- Helping determine alimony.
Most couples will not think of a prenup before marriage, which makes the division of property easier. If you signed a prenuptial agreement before marriage, you should not expect to receive half of the assets and property owned by your spouse. Instead, the divorce will be based on the terms of your prenup.
Intellectual Assets
Celebrities have many things going for them. Therefore, it is not uncommon for divorcing celebrity couples to fight off things like:
- Copyrights. A copyright gives its holder the right to prevent others from doing certain work-related things.
- Trademarks. A trademark is a term, phrase, or symbol that identifies the source of goods or services in the market. Trademarks are intangible. A person who uses them can prevent others from using them.
- Patents. A patent protects certain non-obvious and useful inventions. If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are in a business where patents are involved, patent ownership may be part of your divorce matters.
Fear of Public Opinion
Everyone always has something to say about the lives of celebrities. Putting your life in the limelight gives people a perceived right to meddle in your issues. Celebrity couples must worry about public opinion and how it will affect their reputation or career during a divorce.
Therefore, you will need a skilled lawyer to help you navigate different options that keep the details of your divorce confidential.
Property Division in a Celebrity Divorce
Division of property is a critical aspect of a divorce. According to statistics, financial issues are a leading cause of divorce, which may carry forward during the separation or divorce. Many people think that celebrities' high income and assets make the division of property easier, which is not the case.
You must consider two types of property in a divorce, including the following:
- Community property. Community property is any asset or income acquired during the marriage. With community property, the court mandates a 50/50 division of the property. Celebrities have numerous assets and income sources, which complicates the division.
- Separate property. Any asset or property you had before entering a marriage is considered separate property. If your spouse attempts to reach for your separate property in a divorce settlement, you will need legal guidance to protect your rights.
Child Custody in Celebrity Divorce
It is hard for any parent to lose daily contact with their child. Going through a divorce does not mean that you are a bad parent or that you are unfit to raise your children. Additionally, having a high income and the ability to care for your children’s financial needs does not mean the court will grant you custody.
Family court matters take a while to resolve, and your divorce cannot move forward unless custody issues are resolved. Any information your spouse may provide to get the upper hand in the custody battle may be open to the public, affecting your child’s well-being. Therefore, protecting your children should be a priority during child custody battles.
For most celebrity divorces, discussing child custody through mediation is advisable. When awarding child custody, the court is keen on the child’s best interests. Therefore, you will need the guidance of a skilled lawyer to help prove that you deserve custody under the circumstances.
When entering mediation, you can choose a mediator or ask the court to appoint one. Child custody mediation means that you agree on how you will parent your children without making custody court appearances. However, if you cannot resolve the custody issues, the court will do it for you. In this case, it will be challenging to protect the privacy of your divorce.
Celebrity Divorce and Alimony
Spousal support, or alimony, is the amount of money a person is expected to give their spouse for normal life expenses after a divorce. If your marriage lasted less than ten years, the court would likely award alimony for half the marriage period. For example, alimony will be paid for up to four years for a marriage that lasts up to eight years.
Marriages that last ten years or longer are considered long-term and will mandate a lifetime payment of alimony. Unfortunately, most celebrity marriages last a very short time. For this reason, spousal support issues are not clear-cut. There are circumstances under which a shorter marriage may be treated as a longer-term one for alimony purposes.
Some of the factors impacting spousal support payments include:
- The health of the receiving spouse.
- Employment prospects. If one of the spouses has no ability to learn a skill and secure employment after a divorce, they could be awarded alimony for a lifetime.
Privacy in a Celebrity Divorce
Divorce is often personal, and most people want to do it as privately as possible. Unfortunately, being a celebrity means that every aspect of your life will be in the limelight, including the end of your relationship. As a celebrity, you should take any opportunity to protect your image and reputation. Some of the ways through which you can keep your divorce issues private include:
Mediation
There is more to a divorce than the actual end of the relationship and signing an agreement to acknowledge the fact. Disputes in your divorce case could center around child custody, child support, property distribution, and alimony. These issues could significantly impact your life quality, financial security, and relationship with your children.
You cannot move forward with your divorce before you litigate these matters. Litigation implies that you are allowing the judge to make all decisions based on your circumstances. One of the main issues with litigation is that you are unable to give your input on the matter. If you are unable to solve the issues surrounding your divorce, you can opt for mediation.
Divorce mediation involves using a third party to help you reach a mutual understanding regarding your divorce issues. A mediator is a neutral party with the relevant training to help you resolve your issues. Often, mediation is a possible way to keep your celebrity divorce private if you are on good terms with your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
When you use a mediator to resolve the underlying issues in your divorce, the court will only receive information you or your attorney provide. Some of the benefits you could accrue from mediation in your celebrity divorce include the following:
- Spouses control the details of their situation that enter the legal system.
- Mediation is less stressful given the already challenging celebrity lifestyle.
- Spouses make final decisions about divorce matters.
- Mediation is extremely confidential, which is a significant part of a celebrity’s life.
Although mediation happens outside of the court system, it is critical that you have the guidance and representation of a knowledgeable divorce lawyer. Your divorce lawyer could help you in the following ways:
- Explain the mediation process to help you make an informed decision about pursuing this option.
- Advice on the options available in your mediation.
- Guide you on the information you can disclose.
- Inform you about the potential consequences of your options.
Arbitration
Arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution method. Instead of going to court for a formal divorce hearing, you can agree to resolve the matters in a private hearing. The arbitration hearing is similar to what you do in a courtroom. However, instead of sitting with a judge, an arbitrator will act as the neutral party between you and your spouse.
With arbitration, you will present evidence of matters pending in your divorce to an arbitrator. Most arbitrators are former judges or attorneys in family law. Therefore, they can cross-examine the documents and evidence you present. Arbitration is less formal than a trial, and you will not need to agree to all the rules of presenting legal evidence.
Some of the reasons why it would be beneficial to use arbitration in your celebrity divorce include:
- Arbitration fits around your schedule. You must be present at all court dates when you file a divorce case in court. This can be difficult since the life of a celebrity is demanding. When you resolve your matters in arbitration, you can move with your schedule.
- You maintain confidentiality. Most family law hearings are public. Divorce can be ugly, depending on the circumstances and your relationship with your spouse. The aftermath of such a divorce can negatively impact your career and livelihood. Going into arbitration means you can keep the unpleasant information about your divorce from the public eye.
- Arbitration is faster. You will lose more time and money by dragging out the divorce process. Most divorces that the court handles may take longer than arbitration.
- Less stress on the children. In a celebrity divorce, you look out for your interests and those of the children. Children of divorcing celebrities may be exposed to traumatic issues during court appearances. Such an incident can cause low self-esteem issues in the child and affect their life. Keeping divorce issues private through arbitration is less painful for your children.
Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative practice is an out-of-court process that a divorcing couple can use to resolve the legal matters surrounding the separation or divorce. Using the collaborative divorce avenue protects you from the traditional family court process. The collaborative divorce will involve several meetings with your spouse and their attorney.
The basis of a collaborative divorce is that neither party will seek litigation. Matters like child custody, child support, alimony, and the division of assets are discussed and agreed upon in these private meetings. When used correctly and in the presence of lawyers, collaborative divorce creates favorable terms for all involved parties.
Most celebrity marriages do not end on a good note. Therefore, collaborative divorce will only be effective if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are cordial with each other.
Sealing Divorce Court Records in California
Like criminal proceedings, the records of divorce proceedings are public in California. People can access the information in public records and use it however they want. When a celebrity couple goes their separate ways, the media and other members of the public are always eager to learn about the private aspects of their lives through divorce proceedings.
Even when you strive to maintain privacy through mediation or arbitration, your decisions and discussions must be presented to the court. Having the information you discussed in your divorce to the public can cause emotional trauma. Sometimes, there could be accusations of domestic abuse or violence against children in an attempt to gain the upper hand in child custody issues.
This information about your children may be displayed to the public when the divorce proceedings end. The complexity of divorce proceedings can stress you and cause you to doubt yourself. Therefore, you did not need additional pressure from other people.
Sealing your divorce records is the only way to protect the information discussed in your divorce from the public. The court can seal your entire case or a portion that contains sensitive information. When the court decides on your petition to seal the divorce record, they will consider the potential damage the records can have when exposed to the public.
Some of the reasons that could necessitate sealing your celebrity divorce records include the following:
- Protect the children identified in divorce proceedings.
- Keep information on bank accounts and social security numbers private.
- Protecting business data.
- Protecting victims of domestic violence.
Find a Skilled Divorce Lawyer Near Me
Going through a divorce is a complicated and stressful situation. The normal process involves dividing a closely bonded family unit into separate fighting groups. Important and life-changing decisions dealing with child support, custody, and property division must be made before the finalization of the divorce.
Although divorce is trying for all individuals, the situation becomes dire when celebrity couples divorce. Being a celebrity means that your life is in the spotlight. Every decision you make in your divorce as a celebrity could affect your reputation.
Further, your career impacts child custody, visitation, and support decisions. Most celebrity divorces involve high income and assets, which can raise severe disputes over property and asset division.
Whether you choose to handle your divorce in court, through arbitration, or mediation, you will require the guidance of a divorce lawyer. At Los Angeles Divorce Lawyer, we work hard to protect your rights, interests, and privacy throughout the divorce process. We serve clients battling celebrity divorces in Los Angeles, CA. Call us at 310-695-5212 to discuss the details of your divorce.
