Archive for the ‘Celebrities’ Category

Shaq Attempting To Move Divorce To Florida

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Keith AllisonDays before filing for divorce, Shaquille O’Neal’s wife, Va’shaundya, moved to California, which is known for having much more generous divorce settlement laws than Florida. Shaq’s attorney has filed paperwork to bring the proceedings back to Florida, based on the fact that this was where the couple lived up until the divorce.

San Francisco divorce attorneys claim that Va’shaundya’s moving to California is a major sign that she is looking to get as much as she can out of the divorce. She has already gone on record as wanting complete custody of the children, child support and spousal support from the divorce.

The divorce was filed shortly after Va’shaundya learned about Shaq’s 5-year long affair with Laura Govan, the pregnant fiancee of Gilbert Arenas.  All signs so far point to this being a very emotional and financially straining divorce process.

To read more about the divorce, see the article in S2S Magazine. Image Via Keith Allison [Flickr].

Kate Gosselin Claims Jon Illegally Withdrawing Family Funds

Friday, October 9th, 2009

photos8dotcomAfter divorce proceedings begin, it is common for courts to order both parties limit their spending habits until the property and assets division process is finalized. Refusal to listen to the court order can put you in contempt of court, something you and your San Francisco divorce attorney do not want to go through. One celebrity couple is learning this lesson the hard way.

Just a few days before Kate Gosselin filed for divorce, Jon withdrew a significant amount of money from the couple’s joint money market account. Out of fear he would do it again, Kate withdrew $100,000 to ensure she and the kids would be taken care of, however, she returned it when the court instructed her to put the money back and told both Kate and Jon to only withdraw money with the consent of the other person.

Unfortunately, Kate claims Jon has not obeyed this court order and has withdrawn over $230,000 from the account and left only around $1,000 for Kate and the children. “When you’ve left your children and their mother unable to pay for the roof over their heads, it’s not acceptable,” she said. She also said she is now left with no way to pay her bills or provide for her children.

Kate is sending her attorney after Jon to get the money back, with the threat of his being held in contempt if he doesn’t return the missing funds.

To read more about these events, see the article in Pop Eater. Image Via Photo8.com [Flickr.com]

Celebrities Show The Value of PreNuptials

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

john cleeseCelebrities are just like the rest of us -they fall in love, they have children, and they get divorced. By learning from the public lives of celebrities, we can easily learn lessons about our own private lives. Take for example the recent divorces of Hugh Hefner and John Cleese.

Hugh had the foresight to see the need for a prenuptial and now that he is getting a divorce, he is certainly seeing the benefit. Hugh has been married to Kimberly Conrad since 1989, when the couple signed a prenuptial agreement. When Conrad filed for divorce in 1998, she withdrew the petition after Hefner said he did not wish to get divorced. As a result, the pair modified the prenuptial agreement. Now that they are officially going through separation procedures, Kimberly will be seeking close to $10.2 million. While this sounds like a lot, keep in mind that Hugh is worth as much as $80 million. In the end, even if she gets everything she wants, the mother of two Hefner children will only be taking around an eighth of Hugh’s money and assets.

Now lets take a look at John Cleese and his divorce agreement. Cleese and his wife, Alyce Faye, were married for 16 years, but they had no children. The pair did not sign any prenuptial agreement and now John is feeling the sting of this mistake. John Cleese has been estimated to be worth around $27 million and his wife will be taking $12 million in the divorce -that’s almost half of his worth! In fact, the settlement will leave Faye with more money than the Monty Python alumni. Faye originally demanded even more money, claiming that Cleese’s celebrity status had allowed her to become accustomed to “being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles.”

As you can see, the difference in these divorce agreements is staggering. While these celebrities may be on a different financial level than you, they can still help you realize the importance of a prenuptial agreement. If you are engaged, getting a prenuptial agreement written by a San Francisco divorce attorney can be one of the smartest decisions you can ever make.

For more information on Hef’s separation, read the full article in Courthouse News Service. To learn more about Cleese and his divorce, please enjoy the article in the SFGate. Photo Via Lord Biro [Flickr]