Pasadena Family Law Blog

Given the nearly 50-50 outcome of marriages in this country, one may wonder whether fault is still relevant in divorce or other dissolution proceedings.

Take the case of Reese Witherspoon's parents, Mary Elizabeth and John Witherspoon. Earlier this week, the actress' mother filed a lawsuit, seeking an annulment. The catch is that she is not seeking to dissolve her own marriage. Rather, she alleges that Mr. Witherspoon's recent marriage to another woman must be annulled because he never received a divorce from her. In a word, she has accused him of bigamy.

Warnings have been written and many have been received about being careful what you post on Facebook if you have a divorce pending. Pictures of expensive purchases, unflattering images or status updates naming your soon-to-be ex-spouse could be damaging in court.

Some posts and pictures have an obvious danger, but even some of the most seemingly innocent ones can be "used against you." So how do you prevent those from being used? The best way is to abstain from using the social media sites completely, but we know that can be difficult. Privacy controls are another way to help limit exposure, but according to a recent Consumer Reports estimate 13 million users of Facebook alone have not used or are unaware that the site even has privacy controls.

Almost everyone has heard of the famous Dog Whisperer from California, but many not have heard about the divorce between the Dog Whisperer and his wife. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millán, has gained his celebrity status and celebrity income from his work with dog training, his show the Dog Whisperer and book deals.

The couple, who were married for 18 years, has finally concluded their divorce proceedings in the California court system. The now ex-wife filed for divorce from her celebrity husband approximately two years ago. Like many divorces, financial obligations, such as spousal maintenance and child support, were addressed through the divorce process.

If you know anything about the NFL, you have heard the name Warren Sapp. He not only had a very successful career as a defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders. He went to the Pro Bowl seven times and even became an analyst for the NFL Network. He filed for bankruptcy protection, claiming approximately $6.7 million in debt, including child support obligations.

According to an article published in Sports Illustrated in 2009, Sapp is not the only athlete with financial issues post professional career. In fact, 78 percent of NFL players and 60 percent of NBA athletes significantly struggle with money within two and five years, respectively, after they retire.