For those seeking divorce advice in Pasadena, let the persistence of Jamie McCourt be a lesson to you. Mrs. McCourt has argued tirelessly that she is entitled to part ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team her estranged husband Frank claims belongs solely to him. Jamie even turned down a settlement last week in hopes that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon would rule in her favor. And her gamble paid off. This week, Judge Gordon ruled that a postnuptial marital agreement giving sole ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers to Frank McCourt is not valid.
"The court finds that the marital property agreement is not a valid and enforceable agreement," Judge Gordon wrote in his ruling. "The court orders that the marital property agreement is set aside."
The ruling isn't expected to rock the Dodgers' day-to-day operations as a team, though Frank is expected to make further legal moves to thwart his ex-wife's attempts at becoming an active co-owner. Lawyers for Frank McCourt already have notified the court of a different legal strategy in a separate claim for sole ownership of the baseball team.
"Without the agreements in place, it becomes the court's job to determine which property is Frank's and which is Jamie's based on who holds legal title to the team," Frank's attorney Marc Seltzer said in a statement. "The facts are crystal clear on this point. The Dodgers are solely in Frank's name."
Jamie McCourt's lawyers, on the other hand, have told the press that while their client is pleased with the ruling, she is looking forward to moving quickly toward a resolution.
"It's in the interest of her, her family, Dodger fans and the team," one of her attorneys, David Boies, told the Associated Press. "She's not going to insist on exactly half, but if she's prepared to compromise, Frank has to look at this case with some realism."