During the second week of December 2010, multiple celebrity couples announced divorces.  Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, Nip/Tuck actor Dylan Walsh and Joanna Going, and Dexter actors Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter all confirmed that they had filed for dissolution of marriage this week.

A divorce, formally known as a dissolution of marriage, returns the couple to an unmarried state, and any benefits of the marital status are revoked.  (C.F.C. 2300.)  In California, most property acquired during marriage is community property, and community property is distributed to each spouse 50/50 at divorce.  (C.F.C. 760; C.F.C. 2550.)

People who wish to protect assets acquired prior to marriage often enter into a prenuptial agreement, which is a contract between the spouses that alters the normal rules regarding the characterization of property between the couples.  (C.F.C 1610 et seq.)  It is likely that at least one of the celebrity couples signed some kind of agreement regarding the distribution of marital property at divorce.

If you are going through a divorce, contact a Southern California family law attorney so that your property can be distributed as quickly and equitably as possible.  The greater your assets acquired during marriage, the larger the marital estate, and the more likely you will need an attorney to defend your interests at divorce.  Property distribution, spousal support, and child custody issues may be highly contentious issues, so contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect yourself.

If you are going through a divorce, you will need an experienced Southern California divorce attorney who will aggressively represent you.  At Wallin & Klarich, we have helped people going through divorces for over 30 years.  Call us today at (888) 749-7428. We will be there when you call.