Orange County Divorce Lawyer Blog

Lifestyles of the rich and famous....oh my! This is by far the largest request for spousal support that I have ever seen. According to court pleadings filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, ousted Dodger CEO, Jamie McCourt is requesting that her estranged soon to be ex-husband, Frank McCourt, fork over $988,845.00 per month in temporary spousal support.

According to released court sealed documents, here are some highlights reflecting the parties' marital lifestyle:

* For the last 5 years of their marriage, Jamie and Frank took $2.31 million per month in salaries and perks -- almost entirely on a tax-free basis.

* Frank's financial advisor testified, "During the marriage the parties used the business to fund whatever they needed, or wanted, as it was their personal ATM or credit card.

* Jamie claims ... Frank's 2008 personal financial statements put his net worth at $834,900,000 and valued McCourt Enterprises in excess of $2 billion.

* Frank spent $52,000 in clothes since November and dropped more than $81,000 on a December vacation ... according to Jamie.

* As for Jamie's request for just under a million a month, she claims it's necessary "to maintain her accustomed marital lifestyle."

Unless you are Frank McCourt, Warren Buffett or Donald Trump, said types of temporary support orders are extraordinary. For more information on obtaining spousal support pending an Orange County dissolution proceeding, contact an experienced and reputable family law attorney.

Source: TMZ: Frank/Jamie McCourt Divorce-- So Rich!

Several celebrity news websites are reporting that a settlement has been reached in the California divorce of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, which is expected to become final next month.

The relationship between Hefner, 83, and his wife Kimberly has, according to media reports, been an unusual one. The couple married in 1989 and separated in 1998, but only filed for a California divorce last year. In the interim Kimberly has been living with the couple's children in a house adjacent to the Playboy Mansion and Hefner has been paying her a monthly allowance.

Divorce settlements involving high-asset couples - especially couples in which one partner brings most of the assets into the marriage - can be especially complex. California prenuptial agreements were created, in part, to address situations like this. The Hefner settlement may also have been complicated by the unusual living arrangements the couple have had for more than a decade. Further complicating matters is a lawsuit Kimberly filed last year against the ageing publisher, demanding
$5 million as her share of the profits from Hefner's sale of the home where Kimberly and the couple's sons have been living. Hefner claimed in response that "he's paid her nearly $12 million since they separated," according to TMZ.

Though unusual in many respects, the Hefner divorce is also a reminder of the importance of securing the help of a skilled Orange County divorce lawyer who can help you chart a course through your California separation and divorce whatever their circumstances may be. Divorces that do not involve multi-million dollar homes or other significant California community property assets can be just as complex and contentious as those of movie stars or magazine publishers. The first important step to take involves finding a Los Angeles, Orange County or San Bernardino County divorce attorney who will give your case the careful attention it deserves, and fight for everything to which you are entitled.

Contactmusic.com: Hefner's Divorce Finalised in March

TMZ.com: Hugh Hefner Divorce: A Done Deal

It is not uncommon for the court to order a liquidation of a community property asset and provide said funds to the supported spouse or apportion it between the parties. Many times a hearing to determine how much support one party pays to the other could be delayed until the forensic accountant finalizes the cash flow report available for support, among other reasons.

As an example, it was reported today that Jamie McCourt will receive $1.4 million to cover her expenses until next month's hearing on spousal support. The $1.4 million comes from the liquidation of an investment account in the names of Frank and Jamie McCourt. The agreement also provides Jamie McCourt with access to additional funds -- in an unspecified amount -- from the couple's joint investments.

When Frank and Jamie McCourt filed for divorce in October, she asked for $320,967 per month if she were reinstated as the Dodgers' chief executive officer and $487,634 per month if she were not. The court denied her request for immediate reinstatement.

Continue reading "McCourt Divorce: Liquidating a Community Asset to Maintain the Status Quo" »

Alimony and California divorce have been much in the news lately, partly because of the recent passing of Michelle Triola, whose 1970s lawsuit against actor Lee Marvin established the concept of "palimony" in a 1979 California family law ruling. On a related topic, a story which appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week has sparked a nationwide conversation about the changing nature of alimony itself. The shifting nature of California alimony, California divorce and California family law issues are a reminder of the importance of having a skilled Southern California divorce lawyer in your corner when negotiating a potential legal minefield.

Triola made headlines more than 30 years ago when she sued Marvin for benefits similar to those a former spouse would be entitled to under California divorce law governing alimony and California community property. The 1979 California Supreme Court ruling allowing her suit to go forward established the concept of "palimony", though Triola later lost her attempt to win ongoing financial support from Marvin.

The Journal article notes that alimony has traditionally been seen as a lifetime commitment, usually on the part of the man, after a divorce. Most people believe their divorce to be the final say on issues of alimony and support, but the article cites several instances of spouses returning to court, in some cases decades after the dissolution of a marriage, citing changed financial circumstances and demanding the alimony they initially waived. Several experts quoted in the article note that most American laws governing divorce and alimony date from the 1950s and 1960s, an era when single-income households were the norm and many fewer women has professional skills and careers than is the case today.

The Journal article points out that California is among the states with laws allowing for indefinite California alimony payments. These can continue even if the former spouse receiving them is working and no longer needs the financial support.

An experienced Orange County family law attorney can offer advice on Southern California divorce, alimony and even "palimony" issues. Consulting a Los Angeles divorce lawyer is crucial if you believe your ex-spouse intends to make unfair demands long after a marriage has ended.

Wall Street Journal: The New Art of Alimony

Changing work patterns and the economic downturn are creating new Southern California divorce issues - some of which would have been unheard-of even a short time ago. These highlight your need for an experienced Southern California spousal support attorney when you set out to negotiate the end of a marriage.

The idea of men receiving California spousal support (as alimony is known in California) from their ex-wives used to be virtually unheard-of. A divorce settlement requiring the actress Joan Collins to send her ex a monthly check made national headlines back in the 1980s. More recently, the actress Anne Heche publicly complained that she could no longer afford the $15,000 per month in spousal and child support she owes her ex-husband.

While it is still unusual for men to receive support when a marriage ends, the practice is becoming more common, and is certainly no longer confined to Hollywood celebrities. More and more marriages are two-income households. The economic downturn has made cases in which women, as a family's main breadwinner, are being asked to support their ex-husbands increasingly common. According to a recent report by ABC News around 13,000 American men now receive alimony payments from their ex-wives, up from about 7,000 in 1998.

California child support and California spousal support issues are often linked, which is why anyone considering a California divorce needs to begin the process by seeking out the services of an experienced California family law attorney.

Statistics published by the federal Department of Health and Human Services indicate that new requests for help collecting California child support were up 11.5% in the 2008 fiscal year. At the end of that period the government was still trying to enforce the collection of more than $19 billion in unpaid California child support.

Continue reading "California spousal support picture is changing" »