The process of dissolving a marriage can be complex for any couple. The divorce process may be more contentious and difficult if there are children involved or a large number of assets that need to be divided. One case keeps making news in Pennsylvania and elsewhere as Ken Griffin and his soon-to-be ex-wife continue to file legal motions against each other as money and where the children will live continue to be sticking points.
Mr. Griffin filed two petitions as a means of disputing his wife’s petition to nullify the prenuptial agreement they signed before marriage. The wife, Anne Dias Griffin, says she was coerced into signing the agreement. Mr. Griffin believes the amount of support his wife claims is necessary to support the three children is more for her benefit rather than the children’s. The amount of expenses claimed by the wife is $1 million monthly.
Aside from disagreeing about finances and an adequate amount of support, the couple is disputing where the children will be raised. The wife wants to move with the children to New York. She contends that her request to move any potential children was part of the details of the prenuptial agreement. Ken Griffin does not want the children moved.
The more contentious the divorce process becomes, the longer a split may actually take. Any motions to nullify a prenuptial agreement may require proof that the agreement was signed under duress or some kind of false pretense as prenuptial agreements in Pennsylvania are legal contracts and are treated as such in court. The question of monetary support can also lead to disputes. It may benefit both sides to understand their current financial situations and agree upon support details as early in the divorce process as possible to help minimize conflicts, misunderstandings and the end cost of a divorce.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Another round of accusations in billionaire’s divorce battle“, Diana Novak, Feb. 20, 2015
