Madonna And Richie Divorce Back On
Madonna has released a statement confirming news speculation about her divorce, “Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage. They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time,” according to the London Telegraph.
It is not known whether the couple have a prenuptial agreement but sources close to the couple say they would like to avoid the tabloid fodder of the McCartney-Mills divorce. Madonna, who is estimated to be worth over $300 million, could stand to lose a substantial amount, especially if the divorce is filed in England where the couple reside. The Telegraph reports, “Margaret Hartwood of law firm Thomas Eggar urged them to go down the collaborative route …There are cases where wealthy women have been required to pay men substantial sums of money and the court will be completely neutral over the fact that the woman in this case holds most of the wealth. However, Mr. Ritchie may have male pride issues which prevent him from making a claim.”
Madonna may, however, create quite a battle if she files in New York, where she has an apartment in Manhattan. The battle over jurisdiction could take a substantial amount of time and it is rumored the Material Girl wants it over by Christmas.
Usually when you file for divorce you have to file in the county where the Defendant resides. However, in situations where a couple own several homes in different states, or countries, where a person resides can be open to interpretation. There are also other circumstances that can effect where you file, such as if you do not know where the other party is, or if you have children, where the children are living.