What can we learn from celebrity break-ups, billionaire settlements, straying husbands, downright daunting divorce laws, or scandalous politicians? PLENTY! Meet our contributing writers and professional advisors who are tickled pink to ponder all of the news, views, gossip and buzz that we love to hear!
Two shocking divorces in Yemen have drawn attention to the plight of child brides. The first case involved a 10-year old wife, Nujood Ali, shown, who walked into a courthouse in April and demanded a divorce. In May another girl, 9, ran to a hospital in Jibla, and told the staff her husband had been beating and abusing her.
The 10-year-old girl, Nujood, The New York Times reported over the weekend, is barely 4 feet tall. Her father, a beggar, married her off to a 30 year old man, he said, for her own good. He wanted to protect her, one of his 16 children, from abduction and forced marriage to someone else, as had happened with her two older sisters.
Her father’s argument was that it’s better if I force her to get married than if someone else forces her to get married.
During Nujood’s time with her husband, she said, he beat her and forced himself on her. She took a taxi to the courthouse in Sana, the capital, her first trip ever alone, and once there found both a lawyer and a kindly judge. When she appeared before him in court, he asked her if she wanted a separation from her husband or a permanent divorce. To see what she answered, in front of her father and her husband, go here.
International Planned Parenthood reports that pregnancies are the leading cause of death for girls between 15 and 19 worldwide. Those below the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women over 20. The problem exists in Yemen, where the typical age of marriage for girls is 12 to 14. According to a 2005 Unicef report, 60 percent of girls 15 to 19 in Niger are married. In Mali, 39 percent of girls are married by age 15. In Ethiopia 50 percent of girls are married by age 15.
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Being denied access to your own phone and television might constitute grounds for a lawsuit for some. But when Florida resident Donna Campbell discovered that her husband had done so in order to keep an even bigger offense under wraps — he and 16 other coworkers won the lottery, and he had no intention of sharing — she knew it was time for divorce court.
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The European Economic Union has instituted a temporary measure to limit "divorce shopping," where spouses "battle for the most favorable settlement in different EU courts," explains The Earth Times — most of which involves the speed of processing. Sweden finalizes in six months, while Ireland requires a four-year separation period. Up until 2006, neither party was required to even set foot in Guam to legally split. (Now one party must spend a whopping seven days in the tropical country.)
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As a handful of states legalize same-sex marriage, gay couples will inevitably marry in one state and reside in another. Divorce is another inevitable. The Wall Street Journal June 10, 2008 asks: When the state of residence doesn't recognize a couple's union in the first place, how can the couple dissolve it? Bring the issue of child custody into the mix, and you've got a mess: contradictory state rulings, questionable parental rights, two people who both want to be "Dad" — or "Mom." Such is the case for Lisa Miller (right) and Janet Jenkins, as The New York Times recently reported on their battle for six-year-old Isabella.
UK web site Holy Moly has reported that Madonna met with divorce lawyer Nicholas Mostyn, Queen's Counsel. Not ringing a bell? Mostyn, nicknamed Mr. Payout, most recently assisted Paul McCartney retain the majority of his savings from Heather Mills' grip. If it's all true, Mostyn might have a bigger battle on his hands this time around: Apparently, Madonna and Guy Ritchie do not have a prenup. Could prove to be a groundbreaking case for manimony.
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Jennifer Butler has filed for divorce from husband Bill Murray after more than a year of separation. The two have been married for 10 years and have four children.
Unfortunately, Butler's divorce petition detailed Murray's "adultery, addiction to marijuana and alcohol, abusive behavior, physical abuse, sexual addictions, and frequent abandonment."
Aside from a storied acting career, Murray is co-owner of the Charleston Riverdogs, a South Carolina minor league baseball team — although is official title on the team's web site is "Director of Fun." I don't know...from the aforementioned allegations, he doesn't sound like too much fun to me.
Seriously, though, it must be tough be married to these full-throttle, ad-lib kind of guys like Murray or Robin Williams (also in the midst of a divorce). Maybe the show never stops — and they never stop.
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Saudi men who divorce non-Saudi women are currently allowed to force their wives to leave the country and in many cases never see their children again.
Unlike in Western countries where marriage to a citizen grants automatic citizenship in and of itself, non-Saudi women who marry Saudi men do not get citizenship and can be asked to leave the country at any time. Since the children are the property of their father, the ex-wives can't take the kids with them.
One divorced mother of six who is originally from Syria told the Saudi Gazette that since she got divorced she has not been allowed to see her kids. She is terrified of being expelled from Saudi Arabia and never seeing them again. Her oldest child is only eight years old, and they "still need the care of their mother," she said.
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry is in the process of examining possible solutions, including granting residence permits for women caring for their children.
While this is great in theory, I have a feeling that most Saudi ex-husbands will find a way to throw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans. The Foreign Ministry might let the women stay in the country, but the ex is under no obligation to let them anywhere near the kids.
While I sympathize with the plight of these women, there's an element of "What did you think was going to happen?" going on here. We've said it enough times before — Saudi Arabia is not exactly known for its women's rights movement, and the laws are barbaric at best. When it comes to Saudi marriage proposals, let the buyer beware.
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Actor Dylan McDermott will represent himself in his upcoming divorce from Shiva Rose, says the New York Post.
All reported accounts of this news reference his seven-year run as a litigator on The Practice. Seems a bit of a stretch to assume that the actor would rely on his experience on the television drama to navigate his way through a courtroom, don't you think?
More likely, the couple plans to work through the process amicably and McDermott has no plans to take it to court. If that's the case, perhaps the two could benefit from a mediator?
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Heather Mills is planning a seven-day divorce party for her and 25 of her closest friends. The cost? $500,000. Mills plans to fly the group to Necker Island, a private Caribbean spot, to the tune of $49,000 a night.
The interesting bit about this is the fact that Mills was extremely concerned with her public image during the divorce proceedings with ex Paul McCartney. She made a point of rebutting comments that she was only in it for the money, vehemently denying she was a "gold-digger," and emphasizing that she needed proper support to care for their daughter, Beatrice.
But the extravagance of this party seems to speak otherwise.
Don't get me wrong. It's her money now, fair and square. She entitled to do with it what she pleases. Not sure if it's sending the right message, which seems to be a little "in your face, Paul," doesn't it?
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Dylan McDermott and actress Shiva Rose have filed for divorce, according to the Associated Press. The couple has been married for 12 years and have two children together.
Known for his role on The Practice, McDermott filed a petition for dissolution of marriage, citing irreconcible differences.
And they made it so far. In Hollywood, it's like dog years: one year of marriage equals seven in the real world. Twelve years, no doubt, is a lifetime.