Pasadena divorce lawyers have good reason for stressing the importance of a prenuptial agreement. If you want to see how costly it can be to divorce without a prenup, consider the split between Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm and his wife Sue Ann. The multi-billionaire is in the process of divorcing his wife of 25 years and is set to hold the record for the most expensive divorce in the United States.
Harold has a 68% controlling interest in Continental Resources and is said to be worth 11.2% billion. The couple was married in 1988. They have two adult children together.
The main reason Sue Ann stands to walk away with a huge settlement is that the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement. Most of Harold's fortune was made after the couple tied the knot, and it appears that Harold vastly underestimated his future business success.
The date of separation will play a factor in the Hamm divorce as well. Harold originally claimed the couple separated in 2003, which was well before his stocks in Continental quadrupled in value. The couple ended up using 2012 as the official date of separation, but the difference in timing will likely net Sue Ann an extra $3 billion.
Before Harold Hamm's split, Rupert Murdoch was widely considered to have the record for the most expensive divorce. Rupert Murdoch spent $1.7 billion on his 1999 divorce from second wife Anna. He also did not have a prenuptial agreement. Fortunately, however, Murdoch appears to have learned from his mistake. He's in the process of divorcing third wife Wendi Deng, but they had an elaborate prenup that included two updates after they tied the knot.
If Sue Ann Hamm ends up walking away with 50% of Harold Hamm's assets, the $5.6 billion settlement will be worth more than the top six most expensive divorces in the United States combined.
How Can We Help You?
Please call the Schweitzer Law Partners at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com if you are in need of legal representation during your divorce. Our skilled Pasadena divorce attorneys can explain how the presence or absence of a prenup will effect the distribution of marital assets.