It seems like every week we report on a new country experiencing an upswing in divorce, and India is no different. I read an eye-opening piece the other day about the rise of Indian divorce, and some of the possible causes.

The article basically said that three things are at the root of the Indian divorce boom. One, couples have more money, making them less dependent on their families for support. Two, women are becoming more economically self-sufficient than ever before, making them less dependent on their husbands. Three, and probably most notably, Western influence has become more ingrained in Indian culture, making the traditional Indian marriage not good enough anymore.

Couples want love, instead of just family-sanctioned baby-making. It seems Indian couples are in a real catch-22. The only way they can break free from traditional cultural norms is to distance themselves from their parents and extended families. If they do that, however, they lose the support structure that is inherent within that way of life. While it's easy to look at a rise in divorce as a bad thing, I think it rarely means that more marriages are failing. It means that just as many marriages are failing, but now the parties involved are empowered enough to do something about it.

The piece referenced one woman, Christina, who ran home to her family because her new husband was beating her and kicking her out of the house in the middle of the night. Her parents' first reaction was the old-style one -- they sent her home and told her to make it work. Later, Christina found out that her husband was gay, and went back to her parents. This time, they welcomed her back, understanding that the marriage wasn't going to work.

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When we last heard from pro golf great Greg Norman, he was squabbling with his ex-wife over their multimillions while he was running around with former tennis star Chris Evert, who also broke up with her husband.

Well, it seems Norman and Evert are more than just a rebound fling for one another. Word came yesterday that wedding bells are going to be ringing soon. The sports power couple has gotten engaged.

Considering the legal wrangling he's been through with his ex-wife, you have to figure Norman is going to have his attorney draw up the mother of all prenups. Color me cynical, but do these celebrity couples ever really survive?

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Wouldn't you hate it if things said behind closed doors were suddenly made public?

Former New York Stock Exchange chairman Dick Grasso might be sweating a little. A new book discussing Grasso's time on the NYSE reveals that he was questioned about having an extramarital affair and fathering a child with his supposed mistress.

In 2004, then-State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed a suit against Grasso seeking to reclaim over half of the money he made during his eight years as chairman. Mr. Grasso was paid around $190 million dollars, which Spitzer contends is a violation of state laws governing not-for-profit organizations.

Most of the testimony was released to the public already, but this particular interview was kept under wraps until now. Grasso was interrogated about a woman named Karen Ross, a childhood friend of his.

The personal nature of the questions stemmed from emails that Spitzer seemed to think were indicative of an affair. Whether the alleged affair is current or past wasn't specified. Apparently, Grasso paid part of Ms. Ross's daughter's college tuition, and Spitzer asked him point blank if the child were related to him in some way. The only way she could be is if he had fathered her.

Grasso never lost his cool, but his attorney fired back that the subject matter being discussed wasn't related at all to the case and it was private information. The question was asked again and Grasso simply replied, "No."

Admittedly, this doesn't make Grasso look nearly as bad as the Attorney General's office, but still — if I were Mrs. Grasso, I might be checking out his emails just in case.

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You've heard of the prenup, now comes another oh-so-romantic tool that appears designed for well-heeled, bold-faced names: Welcome, if you will, the postnup. Nothing screams "love" and romance like spelling out the terms of your divorce before you're even married, or while you're still supposedly happily married.

Actually, postnups are mostly used in situations where the marriage is falling apart anyway, according to a piece in Portfolio, a magazine for the kind of high-powered folks who typically pursue prenups and are candidates for the rather newish postnups. The article says 49 percent of the members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reported an increase in postnups over the last five years.

The key issue that postnuptial agreements seek to settle involves wealth that one spouse accrues during the marriage and whether it should be considered marital property when assets are split.

You could look at prenups and postnups as a way for people to protect themselves. But it's awfully hard not to view anyone who would pursue one of these agreements as incredibly cynical. If you're so worried about protecting your assets, maybe you shouldn't get married in the first place. And don't tell me it's not that simple. I think it is.

I guess it's just hard for me to view things from the mindset of someone who has that much to protect. "Regular" people—as in everyone I know, aren't in the same ocean with this sort of thing. I'm reminded of the "Seinfeld" episode where George, desperate to break off his engagement to Susan, asks her for a prenup. Jobless, bumbling George wanted a prenup. Susan laughed in his face and told him, "sure, bring it on, I'll sign it." Don't know about you, but that's the world I'm used to.

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What’s the deal with these Hollywood May-December marriages?

The latest word from the entertainment capital of the world is that Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone wants out of his marriage. It’s a second marriage for the 84-year-old Redstone. His current wife, Paula Fortunato, is a 44-year old school teacher.

Unnamed sources say Redstone has been unhappy in the marriage for some time and that he asked Fortunato to leave their house. According to sources, the couple’s prenuptial agreement stipulates that she only gets $1 million if they divorce. Fortunato, you may remember, helped influence Redstone to end Tom Cruise’s production deal with Viacom’s Paramount Pictures after Cruise’s couch-jumping display on the Oprah Winfrey show.

I guess you can’t ever explain love, but what compels people to get married despite a 40-year age difference? Those rich, powerful Hollywood moguls — they really do get whatever they want, don’t they?

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I just read a piece by a couple's financial advisor who wrote about the psychological and economic impact of divorce. After listing reasons why divorce is so expensive, emotionally and financially, he advised couples to "avoid divorce at all costs." I don't agree.

This suggestion may have merit in some splits, but not in all cases. Married people agree that marriages and relationships change, precluding the bliss of courtship days. He believes that problem marriages can survive with dedicated effort and good counseling. Perhaps some marriages can be saved but say you're married to a drug or alcohol abuser, those tendencies may never be changed. Anger management classes can improve physically abusive behavior, but in some cases women and children must escape that environment.

Couples that see divorce as their best recourse will realize that the cost of the procedure almost matches the emotional anguish. Why does divorce cost so much?

Marriage is an economic partnership which requires complicated steps to undo. Two households must be maintained along with the attendant household expenses. Attorneys fees, appraisals, if there is real estate, the splitting of investments and court costs add up. An assessment of the income and earning capacities of each party must be made. Child support, day care, health and educational expenses must be allocated to each party. Neither party walks away unscathed.

The sad thing is that divorce leaves women and their children more economically disadvantaged than men. No matter how you slice the pie, I have found that women and children usually end up with the smallest slice. Women and children can be extremely economically dependent upon men.

Saving a marriage is one route and divorce may be the ultimate step, regardless of economic consequences. What do you think?
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Yeah, Cindy Lauper crooned it in the 80's but it's just as true in 2007.

In Hollywood, it’s not only high-profile actors and D-listers whose divorces make headlines. The relationship troubles of producers, writers, directors, agents and others up and down the talent food chain are fodder for tabloids and talkshows.

Take the case of Risa Shapiro—an agent with mega talentagency ICM—and Oren Koules—the producer of horror films like “Saw.” These two have been battling each other incourt for more than two years, arguing over assets and investments and revenue generated by the “Saw” franchise, among other issues, according to court documents.

To be sure, marriages between creative people in Hollywood that end in divorce are fraught with legal and financial complications, perhaps more so than most splits. Shapiro and Koules both exercise influence in Hollywood and their split reveals just how much money is at stake when it comes to dividing assets.

For example, court records show that the first two “Saw”movies (released in 2004 and 2005) generated between $6 million and $7 millionin profits for Koules. So how much of that is Shapiro entitled to?

Likewise, Shapiro, who helped “discover” Julia Roberts and represents Jennifer Connelly and David Duchovny, racked up $582,000 in deferred compensation at ICM, and cashed in ICM stock and stock options of more than $258,000, according to court records. But get this: Her annual salary at ICM ismore than $1.2 million, court records reveal.

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"Rose Keller of Palm Beach, Florida got everything she wanted out of her divorce from her Millionaire Husband, Fred. The good news: she received half of his $72 million fortune. The Bad News: she also received a bullet to the head that severely limited her ability to enjoy her new found wealth. We'll be following the story in real time as it unfolds in a Florida courtroom. Stay connected, or tuned, to wiveswire.