Divorce is a complex and at time agonizing process. However, when a high-profile couple divorces while slinging drug abuse and sexual infidelity accusations, the complexity is taken to an entirely different level. As difficult as any divorce is, a high asset divorce can become even more acrimonious.
The former president of Yahoo and her investment banker ex-husband recently settled their long-lasting divorce in a California court. There is no doubt complex asset division including the dissection of real estate and marital property took up a great deal of time. The two split up a reported $71 million dollars in assets.
The stunning figure aside however, the fact that the divorce took five years to finalize and the regrettable accusations flung no doubt made this a grueling process. The two filed for divorce in 2007. Proceedings were relatively conventional for the large number of assets involved when in 2009 a confidential letter from the husband’s lawyers to the ex-president was leaked onto the Internet.
The letter alleged the one of the former spouses had extra marital affairs, bugged their condo and engaged in illegal drug use. The press jumped on the leak, broadcasting the allegations across the nation. A vehement refusal of the allegations was issued. The dispute eventually threatened to drag Yahoo executives into the separation proceedings. The husband’s lawyers subpoenaed the officials for emails and records during the ex-president’s time at the company.
The couple finally came to a settlement agreement recently, which ducked the need to produce any documents or witnesses. The process was unquestionably draining all of the individuals involved. Coming to an amicable resolution, prior to trial, is often the least complicated way to obtain a divorce. An experienced attorney will advocate on the client’s behalf while simultaneously laboring to keep the process amiable and succinct.
Source: Mercury News, “Ex-Yahoo president, husband settle bitter divorce case,” Gary Klein, April 23, 2012.