The McCourt Divorce, the Dodgers and Marital Assets
The divorce proceedings between Dodger's owner Frank McCourt and his soon to be ex wife Jamie McCourt have been... well, dodgy.
There are reports that Frank has fired his wife and called her an adulteress while she has claimed rights for spousal support that are worth more than some of the team's star players.
Jamie McCourt filed for divorce proceedings shortly after her husband Frank McCourt fired her from her post as Chief Executive of the team under the accusation of insubordinate behavior. She also claimed half ownership of the Dodgers as well as half of the couple's $1.2 billion dollars worth of assets.
Now the McCourt divorce papers question who even owns the team. According to the LA Times, Frank McCourt asserts that the Dodgers are his and his alone, while Jamie McCourt claims partial ownership of the ball club.
While the question of ownership of the team has not been answered, it seems that the Los Angeles Superior Court has rejected Jamie McCourt's request to be reinstated into her previous post as Chief Executive of the Dodgers.
The LA Times recently interviewed Jamie McCourt. She admits that while she is now romantically involved with another man, that she was not unfaithful during the duration of her marriage to Frank McCourt.
She told LA Times: "I have never been with another man until the marriage broke up. Ever. Ever."
The Los Angeles Superior Court has not yet ruled on the ownership of the sports team.
Here is the question of the day: Will use of fault grounds affect other aspects of the divorce?
That depends on the state. In a few states, fault may be taken into consideration in deciding property and spousal support, even if the divorce is granted on no-fault grounds. In some states, fault will be considered if it directly causes waste or dissipation of marital assets. In some states, a spouse who commits adultery may not be able to receive spousal support. In many states, the fault of a party in causing a breakdown of the marriage is not supposed to be a factor in dividing marital assets or deciding spousal support.
In the meantime, the court will decide who will get what after the divorce. We have posted some related links to help you if you have any questions about divorce, spousal support and alimony.
Related Resources:
- Spousal Support (Alimony) (Findlaw)
- Divorce Alimony Reform: A Necessary Evil? (Findlaw's Law and Daily Life Blog)
- Court denies McCourt's bid to get Dodgers job back (Findlaw)
- Division of Property in Divorce (provided by Ciciliano & Associates, LLC)
- Divorce: Questions to ask (provided by Law Offices of Susan L. Ward)
