People across the country are familiar with the controversial but award-winning documentaries of Michigan native Michael Moore. However, what Michigan fans of Moore may not know is that recently, after 21 years of marriage, Moore filed for divorce from his wife.
Most people in the process of undergoing divorce realize that regardless of the walk of life one comes from, divorce may be the only option when irreconcilable differences arise. In the case of Moore, his divorce filing notes that his marriage has broken down and that it cannot be preserved. The couple, who married in 1991, own property but do not have any children together.
Given that there are no children, Moore’s divorce will not deal with issues of child support, custody or visitation. When it comes to property division, though, the couple’s property and assets are likely to involve millions of dollars. Moore’s home alone is valued at approximately $1.2 million. Further, Moore has an estimated net worth of $50 million. In order to avoid issues with property division, in his complaint, Moore sought an order preventing both parties from transferring or selling assets such as furniture, works of art, investments and the like until the divorce is finalized.
It is unclear if Moore and his wife had a prenuptial agreement. Still, high asset divorces such as Moore’s are likely to involve several issues surrounding the division of marital assets. In any divorce with property disputes, for a fair and equitable distribution of property, it is crucial to determine what is and is not martial property. Property which belonged to either party before marriage is usually considered separate. However, the issue of spousal support will impact how the judge determines property division.
Divorce can a stressful time, but some of inherent tensions can be eased by consulting a competent family law attorney who can guide parties through the applicable laws, nuances of property division and other divorce legal issues.
Source: Mlive, “Michael Moore divorce: Flint native splits with wife of 21 years,” Ron Fonger, July 18, 2013
