Casualties of Divorce

In a divorce when minor children are involved no one wins, least of all the kids. Mr. and Mrs. A-Rod have two daughters: Natasha A. who will be 4 years old this November and Ella A. who is just 2 1/2 months old (not pictured). Rumor has it that A-Rod has "barely" seen his daughters since his youngest was born late April, 2008.

It is the goal of the court to do whatever is in the best interests of the children and to prevent an all out tug-of-war with the kids as the "prize". Though the couple must feel the marriage is "irretrievably broken" when they file for divorce, the court wants to make sure they've considered the impact on the children. Often the judge will order mandatory counseling to see if the marriage can be saved. If not, before any Florida divorce involving minor children can be finalized, the parents are required to attend a four-hour Parents, Children & Divorce class and children must attend the Sandcastles program. http://www.educationprograms.com/Parents-Children-Divorce-Required-Classes.php The Sandcastles programs are divided into sections and tailored for specific age groups: 6-8 year olds, 9-12 and 13-17.

Additionally, the court must determine issues of custody, division of parental responsibility, the residential parent, child support, visitation and more. The more detailed and specific the settlement agreement is, the better the situation for all involved. Most importantly, the children must know that despite their parents divorce, they are still loved by BOTH parents and that it was not their (the children's) fault. In the end, hopefully both parents will develop/continue a strong and loving relationship with their children. Let's hope for little Natasha's and Ella's sakes that their parents will keep them first and foremost in their minds while battling through the dissolution of marriage.

Lawyers Are a Dime a Dozen...Aren't They?

One of the biggest differences between a "small" divorce case and one involving high profiles and millions of dollars is the number of attorneys each party requires to adequately represent the many issues involved in the case. A-Rod's divorce is no exception and his "dream team" has new members: Alan Kluger and Jason Marks. http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/599054.html

The reason a party to a divorce would require more than one attorney is because different attorneys have varying specialties; when children, millions of dollars and other assets are involved, you want the best of the best! Mrs. A-Rod's team of lawyers includes two Texas based attorneys, since that is where A-Rod signed a $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers.

Celebrity divorces garner a lot of attention and therefore create much publicity for the attorneys who handle their cases. Obviously, Hollywood couples have a tendency toward intense romances culminating in marriages that are as short-lived as their weddings are extravagant. Celebrity powerhouses pay top dollar for representation that will keep their children at home with them and as much of their money in their pockets as possible. They certainly don't want to end up on Forbes' next list of Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces. http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/12/most-expensive-divorces-biz-cz_lg_0412celebdivorce.html
Madonna is said to have contacted Fiona Shackleton, one of Britain's premier divorce attorneys (or are they called 'barristers' there?), who represented Sir Paul McCartney in his recent divorce. Uh, you might want to rethink that, Madge, they're number 6 on Forbes' list and McCartney has to fork over $60 million!! Laura Wasser has represented the likes of Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Nick Lachey and Stevie Wonder. (Stevie Wonder's divorced??? Who would want to divorce Stevie Wonder? Hope she didn't rob him blind -- Haha!)

The point is despite the thousands of attorneys throughout the country, it does matter who you choose to represent your interests. The ABA lists more than 400,000 active and resident attorneys as of 2007. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_lawyers_are_in_the_US Fortunately, there is a plethora of resources to help you find the best one for you, whether you're a celebrity or not.

Tomorrow: What about the children?

Tune in same blog time; same blog channel.

HUMP Day (literally?)

The phones are much quieter today...a couple of hang-ups but nothing crazy (What, do they think A-Rod's going to answer the phone??). I guess there've been enough stories on Entertainment Tonight and shows of that ilk.

So, Monday was the What? A-Rod's getting divorced.

Tuesday was How? Divorce governed by Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure.

Wednesday we want to know WHY?

There are myriad reasons that people get divorced: Couples divorce over money, especially lack of (call me crazy, but I don't think that's the case here); two people can grow apart over the years -- let's face it, people change; constant bickering about everything; injury or illness; significant change in appearance; boredom; loss of sexual attraction to each other; and the most talked about culprit in this instance? Infidelity! http://www.divorcepeers.com/stats26.htm and http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-People-Get-Divorced&id=1018246

A-Rod isn't the only superstar involved in this mess -- at least that's what the tabloids say. Days before Mrs. A-Rod filed her petition for divorce, rumors of A-Rod's late night visits to Madonna'sManhattan apartment were rampant.

Both Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have issued statements that they have no plans to divorce, but each has been said to have contacted high profile divorce attorneys.

And the scandal doesn't stop there! Amid rumors of her husband's extramarital affairs, Mrs. A-Rod may not be so innocent. Claims that she and rocker (and former Madonna beau) Lenny Kravitz have been rendezvous-ing in Europe since the news broke about her divorce. This is a menage-a-QUARTRE! How will tabloids keep it all straight?!

Tune in next time: same blog time; same blog channel!

Day 2: The Frenzy Continues

The phones ring incessantly and the answer is always the same: "No comment." Reporters from magazines and TV shows have kept Mr. Elegant's secretary on the phone all day. Hope Ira's having a good time on the cruise in Turkey cause it's madness when he gets back; MADNESS I tell you!


But it all starts with a simple complaint.
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_sports/baseball08/documents/arod_divorce.pdf

Basically, a divorce is a divorce. It's a difficult time for any couple, having decided to end what was supposed to be a lifelong commitment. Various factors come into play that make one divorce more...difficult than others. First, a divorce between two people who have no kids, no assets in common and have amicably decided to end the marriage is a piece of cake...but that rarely happens. In the event minor children are involved, things get more complicated. Issues of custody, child support, visitation, medical insurance, and more abound. Assets are another concern if the couple has amassed a fortune together and/or prenuptial or cohabitation agreements are in place. Now, add in a young celebrity couple, one of which is one of the hottest sports stars today with whom the media is practically obsessed? Well, let the games begin!

Divorce in Florida is governed by the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, Rule 12.000. https://www.floridabar.org/TFB/TFBResources.nsf/Attachments/416879C4A88CBF0485256B29004BFAF8/$FILE/311FamLaw.pdf?OpenElement Many of you may be wondering, now that Mrs. Rodriguez has filed suit, what happens next? Each side will be required to provide standard information to the other, otherwise known as Mandatory Disclosure (outlined in Rule 12.285). Some of what's requested? W-2s, 1099s, bank and credit card statements, contracts, deeds, promissory notes, etc. Basically an outline of all money made and spent over the last 1-3 years. I'm thinking if you have a contract worth more than $250million (not to mention whatever other money making deals he may have), there are going to be a lot of charges and canceled checks. SIGH! Must be nice. Maybe now that he's getting divorced, I have a chance...or perhaps it's that Madonna does, but that's a whole other issue. Stay tuned.

Buchbinder & Elegant, P.A.

For the past three years I've worked as a legal secretary for Buchbinder & Elegant, P.A., a 30 year-old law firm specializing primarily in civil litigation and family law matters. Because of the firm's broad experience and solid reputation of success, many of our South Florida-based clients are prominent figures in industries like banking, construction, hospitality, and recently, sports. Earlier this year, managing partner, Ira M. Elegant, Esq. filed a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage on behalf of then Miami Heat basketball star, Shaquille O'Neal. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20054672,00.html When the news broke, the office was flooded with calls from various reporters and simply curious gossip-mongers wanting to find out anything and everything about "The Diesel's" divorce. I even got to watch him lumber down the hall of our boutique office and was acknowledged by him (in the form of a grin and a peace sign) as he folded his 7' frame into the elevator on his way out. Alas, that was my closest brush with Superman. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20054672,00.html

Now, another "Superman" calls on Ira Elegant for his divorce expertise. The wife of MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez filed for divorce today at the Dade County Courthouse, just 2 blocks away from our office.

http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/595599.html

Since it's the middle of baseball season and A-Rod plays for the Yankees, my chances of meeting the baseball player worth $250 million are slim...but you never know! Tune in tomorrow.