In order for a petition for a divorce to be filed, most states, including Texas, have a residency requirement. In one high net worth divorce, a woman who was accused by her ex of being out of the country more than she was in, the Supreme Court from her home state has ruled that she did meet the residency requirements to file. The approval from the court will mean that her ex husband will have to pay fines as well as the alimony previously set.
The divorce that was in question was for a marriage that began in 2005 and was considered over by 2009. The wife had filed for divorce in her home state even though she was admittedly out of the country frequently in order to complete a renovation of a property they jointly owned in Europe. The husband protested the state filing and even though he was ordered to not pursue a divorce in a different jurisdiction, he reportedly did so.
Now that the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that the wife qualified for a state filing, the husband has been fined for not adhering to the prohibition of filing elsewhere. The man has been ordered to pay back owed alimony for a 36 month period of over $1,200 a week. He is further required to split her attorney fees that are estimated to be over $87,000 dollars.
This high net worth divorce was possibly more complicated than others due to the question of where a petition could be filed. Whenever the divorcing couple is wealthy, however, it does sometimes prove to be a benefit to look for as many ways as possible to protect any vulnerable assets. For a financially healthy but unhappily married couple in Texas that may be seeking information about divorce, there are many resources available that could help them in arriving at the best resolution for their situation.
Source: Providence Journal, “Supreme Court rules in favor of ex-R.I. governor’s daughter in divorce case,” Tracy Breton, July 16, 2013