Pasadena divorce lawyers caution clients that there is no typical length of time in which a divorce is finalized. This is illustrated by the exceptionally long divorce case of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. The Hollywood stars amicably finalized their divorce last week, although they've been separated since July 2011 and both been seen dating other people in the interim. The couple was married in 2004 in their Beverly Hills home. It was the second marriage for Anthony and the third marriage for Lopez.
The length of time the Anthony and Lopez case dragged on appears to be related to Lopez’s reluctance to finalize the divorce, as opposed to any real legal disputes. Anthony filed divorce papers in April 2012. Lopez didn’t file a response until December 2013.
Lopez received primary custody of the couple's 6-year-old twins Max and Emme. Anthony gets seven days of visitation each month with nannies in tow. The couple agreed to make all reasonable efforts to shield the children from the eyes of the paparazzi. Lopez requested to change her legal name from Jennifer Muniz (Anthony's real surname) back to Jennifer Lopez.
Although hefty spousal support and/or child support awards are common in celebrity divorce cases, Lopez and Anthony settled their divorce with no payments of either type. Lopez is the higher earner in the relationship and has no other children, but Anthony just saw a proposed ruling that would increase his child support payments to ex-wife Dayanara Torres by almost 50% to $26,800 a month. Torres had initially argued for an increase in support based on a claim that Anthony was spending larger sums on his twins with Lopez, asking for $123,426 per month for her two sons.
How Can We Help?
Please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com if you are in need of legal representation during your divorce. Our Pasadena family law attorneys can discuss your options and help you develop a strategy that best addresses your unique situation.