Posted on 12/15/2009 6:23:37 PM PST by marshmallow
Tiger Woods’ devastated wife has called in California’s top celebrity divorce lawyer, say her friends.
And Elin Nordegren – rocked by her husband’s string of alleged affairs – could get half the £337.5million he has earned in the five years they have been married.
The 29-year-old Swedish model, seen out in Florida yesterday minus her wedding ring, is believed to be meeting celebrity lawyer Sorrell Trope next week.
Trope, 82, a partner in Californian law firm Trope and Trope, has represented big-name stars including Cary Grant, Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage and Britney Spears in a 60-year career.
And in another blow to Woods, Elin is believed to be planning to file for divorce in California – where the couple have a home – and not Florida, where they live.
Under California law the “no-fault divorce”, introduced in 1970, means there is an equal division of assets and property.
This could mean that any pre-nup agreement Elin signed with the golf star will be torn up.
A source said: “Mr Trope is the best divorce lawyer in the business and the divorce laws in California are much more favourable than most other states.
“Elin can fight for half of what her husband has earned since they were married. And Trope can bust through any pre-nup – he’s done it many times before.”
Last night, when asked if he was representing Woods’ wife as her divorce lawyer, Trope replied: “Not right now.”
Friends say Elin will spend Christmas in Orlando with the couple’s children, daughter Sam Alexis, two, and son Charlie Axel, 10 months, before filing for divorce in the New Year.
(Excerpt) Read more at mirror.co.uk ...
I wonder if the argument could be made that there was domestice violence in the sense that he exposed her to god knows what due to his unprotected sex with some many women, including a porn actress. It would be interesting approach.
Who knows, I hope she takes him to the cleaners.
“simply because she bore his children?”
Again - with the belittling. Simply? No - bearing children is not simple.
Elin resisted Tiger at first.
Tiger’s friends have stated that Tiger wished to marry so he could have kids.His friends had kids and it looked fun.
So he deceives this woman - makes her think he’ll be a family guy, when it appears all he wanted was kids.
He should have done what other whacky celebrities do and just paid a surrogate instead of tricking a woman into a sham marriage.
And yes - since Elin is a former nanny - I find it highly likely she’s changed more than a few diapers.
‘hard earned money’
You know he plays golf for a living, right?
Don't waste your argument on these type of people who believe a man can cheat and the lil old woman should keep quiet and be grateful. They call Elin a gold digger but say nothing of the women who got money for sex, not counting the prostitutes.
I’m not belittling at all.
Some people seem to think that a component of the sum that she should receive from him should represent a “payment” for bearing his children.
That is absurd thinking. That suggests she doesn’t value the children in her own right as much as he does, that she was sort of like a surrogate mother who should be paid to have her own children.
I will stipulate that Elin may well be a much nicer person than Tiger.
And no doubt she did change diapers back when she worked as a nanny. Why that should entitle her to half his fortune when no doubt as the wife of Tiger Woods he hired nannies to work FOR her, is not clear.
This whole “fraud” argument only goes so far. I’ll stipulate that as a person, from what we know so far she has more class than Tiger. But whatever happened to the idea of finding out what a person is like BEFORE marrying that person? Are we to believe Tiger’s predilection for casual sex with pancake house waitresses and porn stars only started AFTER his marriage?
People seem to be confusing this case of a woman married for only a few years to a man who had already established himself as ridiculously wealthy with, say, a 20-year marriage where the couple starts out with nothing and one spouse helps put the other through medical school or some such or stays home with the children allowing the other spouse to eventually achieve a successful career on behalf of them both.
Trying to fit this Tiger Woods situation into that template as a justification for giving her $250 million as opposed to mere tens of millions just doesn’t fit. The two situations have little in common.
The porn actress was probably the cleanest of the bunch.
I don't know. I've never practiced domestic law. But, for Tiger to be criminally negligent or culpable, he'd had to have knowingly infected his wife with an STD. IOW, he would have to have received a diagnosis, and then had unprotected sex with his wife without disclosing the condition. There is some case law to support such a charge, even amongst married couples.
When there's this much money at stake, these are the kinds of cases where precedent is set. Tiger's philandering was robust - to say the least. If anyone has a claim for emotional distress and injury, it's Elin Nordegren. Even with a iron-clad prenup, she holds a strong hand given his reprehensible behavior.
“Eddie...I want to talk to yoooooooo.”
” That suggests she doesn’t value the children in her own right as much as he does, that she was sort of like a surrogate mother who should be paid to have her own children.”
I don’t think it suggests that.
I think people understand she wanted children as well - but there is a “package deal” along with that.
Most women want security for their children.
They want children along with a stable home life - a stable family.
That usually includes a faithful and honest husband and father.
It appears this is what Elin thought she was getting. Their friends describe Elin as sharing her concerns with Tiger that he give up his bachelor party lifestyle when it came time for family. It appears he convinced her this would come to pass - but he lied.
So yes - she wanted kids. She also wanted a stable family.
It is too bad he lied to her.
She could have been having her children with a nice man who appreciated her and was mature enough to understand what marriage really is.
“Why that should entitle her to half his fortune when no doubt as the wife of Tiger Woods he hired nannies to work FOR her, is not clear.”
Nobody said that. You are twisting words.
You insinuated she probably never changed even one diaper.
You also insinuate that since they employ nannies, this somehow is a strike against her.
“. But whatever happened to the idea of finding out what a person is like BEFORE marrying that person?”
if their friends are to be believed - this is exactly why she resisted him at first.
They describe Tiger assuring her that he was ready for a family.
Unfortunately for her - she believed him.
“Trying to fit this Tiger Woods situation into that template as a justification for giving her $250 million as opposed to mere tens of millions just doesn’t fit. The two situations have little in common.”
I haven’t seen anyone confuse the 2 situations.
She hasn’t been “given” anything yet.
This is a process - and we’ll see where it winds up.
If Tiger does get taken to the cleaners - Karma can be a real bitch.
I won’t feel one bit sorry for him.
hmmm....how about the argument that he was “negligent”.
In other words - everyone with half a brain understands how STDs are spread - and he is the poster boy for what not to do.
Certainly he was reckless and negligent regarding the health of his wife.
1. I don’t think the law should treat men and women differently in somehow trying to imagine what “most women” want out of marriage as opposed to what “most men” want.
She should get the same the same divorce settlement whether they had children or not.
The law should presume that both parties equally wanted the children, absent evidence otherwise.
The children should only be relevant in terms of child support.
2. Women can tell themselves that they will be the one to “change” their man from a “bachelor party”-type womanizer, but it fails time and time again. It’s a risk a woman takes in marrying that type of character.
I think it would be fair for her to get a healthy sum after all the cheating he did, but to justify half his vast fortune on that basis is nonsense.
3. Yes, the fact that a fabulously wealthy man employs cooks, maids, nannies, gardeners, etc. IS a “strike against” the argument that his wife was burdened with domestic chores and responsibilities and on that argument is somehow entitled to half his fortune.
I don't believe such an argument could be made for a criminal allegation of domestic violence. I doubt any criminal court wants to walk down the path of criminalizing promiscuity, irrespective of how robust it may be. But, in the world of civil tort and divorce law, virtually anything is possible with earnest and creative representation - and an endless supply of money; Criteria that I'm sure is met in this case.
I think it's likely that if Nordegren can't renegotiate her original prenup with Woods, she could sue to amend the contract (if not invalidate it), and that suit would be strong and likely to prevail. In short, the sista is gonna get paid.
I strongly disagree. While he did humiliate her and expose her to deadly diseases these things are irrelevant.
He broke the marriage (repeatedly and proven). He should get nothing. She should get everything including his golf clubs.
If men (and women) don't want to lose everything then they should honor their vows.
“1. I don’t think the law should treat men and women differently in somehow trying to imagine what “most women” want out of marriage as opposed to what “most men” want.”
That isn’t what I was trying to address.
I was addressing your preoccupation with the situation with the children.
He gave her the promises and expectations that go along with any reasonable person entering the contract of marriage - and he lied.
“She should get the same the same divorce settlement whether they had children or not.”
According to? You?
The prenup and divorce law will address all of that.
“The law should presume that both parties equally wanted the children, absent evidence otherwise.”
The law should also address blatant dishonesty.
“2. Women can tell themselves that they will be the one to “change” their man from a “bachelor party”-type womanizer, but it fails time and time again. It’s a risk a woman takes in marrying that type of character.”
Ahhh yes. So there it is.
She shouldn’t have believed him.
So -regardless of many instances where some men have managed to grow up and move onto adulthood, she should have “known” he was a liar.
And that is one of the great mysteries isn’t it?
Which men mean it when they say they are ready? Which men do not?
And those that don’t mean it? Well -they can hardly be blamed for their dishonesty right? Afterall - she knew what she was getting right?
The responsibility was his to either accept his status as a bachelor - or to live up to his promises.
She did not drag him unwillingly to the altar.
On the contrary - from descriptions from their friends? It sounds like he was the insistent one.
“I think it would be fair for her to get a healthy sum after all the cheating he did, but to justify half his vast fortune on that basis is nonsense.”
It doesn’t really matter what you think.
Now they are 2 sides that have to enter negotiations.
Tiger’s side not only has to deal with the present problem, but look to his future.
How he deals with this now will affect his future earnings.
We all know he can continue on with winning golf tourneys.
The problem is his earning potential with sponsors.
If I were Tiger’s mama I would advise him to do everything possible to avoid the nasty public divorce spectacle.
If that means being “too” generous - so be it.
He needs to make Elin go away quietly.
He needs to disappear for awhile and decide what kind of man he is going to be from here on out.
He could try to “repent” - or he could embrace his randiness and become golf’s version of Charlie Sheen.
” IS a “strike against” the argument that his wife was burdened with domestic chores and responsibilities and on that argument is somehow entitled to half his fortune.”
I’m not sure who you’re arguing with her.
I never claimed she was slaving away.
As someone who is acquainted with a fabulously wealthy couple I’ve seen that type of lifestyle.
Sure - there is a personal staff taking care of many things - but they don’t take care of everything.
Mommy is still mommy - daddy still daddy.
“Somebody” has to be the authority at home - the one taking responsibility for the household.
Somebody has to be there for the kids.
A marriage is a partnership.
The fact this cannot be compared to a 20+ yr. marriage is not Elin’s fault.She was keeping up her end of the bargain.
Tiger is the one who prevented the continuation of this partnership.
By all accounts - no one has come forth with evidence of misdeeds from the wife.
And that staff has to be overseen and supervised, making the wife an unpaid, but high level executive assistant. So pretenting that she isn't contributing because they have paid staff is unpersuasive. She also has maintained his desire for strict privacy and decorum both before and after marriage, never speaking "off the record" or behaving ungraciously in public. And you know the tabbies were watching.
All of that was a huge contribution to "the marriage". Your belief that she hasn't earned her share is pathetically mistaken as to what a woman brings to a high profile marriage. It takes a lot of grit, it's a high pressure position with not a lot of downtime and requires superior management skills.
Then don't respond. Most of your responses don't logically respond to the points I am making anyway.
If you believe that it would be a travesty of unfairness for a woman who is married for only five years to one of the wealthiest men in the world, who provided her with all manner of fancy homes, servants, every possible convenience, etc. etc., not to recieve HALF of his entire fortune -- a fortune she contributed practically NOTHING to in achieving -- instead of being satisfied with receiving merely TENS of millions of dollars from his cheating on her, then hey, believe away sister.
Your position is merely a wallowing in vicarious vengeance, but no doubt it gives you a certain emotional satisfaction.
It seems you are only concerned with the contribution of “money”
There are many things much more valuable and important than money that is contributed in marriage.
Marriage is a partnership. You are taking the view that marriage is a financial arrangement.
The reason I said it doesn’t matter what you think is because it has no affect on this particular situation.
What does “matter’ is what both parties agreed to during the prenup negotiations.
And what matters now is how both sides will handle that contract and bargain with each other.
“If you believe that it would be a travesty of unfairness for a woman who is married for only five years to one of the wealthiest men in the world, who provided her with all manner of fancy homes, servants, every possible convenience, etc. etc., not to recieve HALF of his entire fortune — a fortune she contributed practically NOTHING to in achieving — instead of being satisfied with receiving merely TENS of millions of dollars from his cheating on her, then hey, believe away sister. “
LOL!
I’m not the emotional one here.
Clearly, “someone” has a problem with the fact that, in this case, the man has been caught violating his end of the deal.
There you go again describing her contribution as nothing.
That says alot more about you than it does Elin.
The only thing that matters is the financial contribution dontcha know?
Disgusting isn’t it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.