Ex-Dodger Owner Back in Family Court for Divorce Modification
Posted on Sep 27, 2012 2:18pm PDT
Sometimes, divorced individuals underestimate the value of their fortune or their spouse’s assets, and want to get a divorce modification once they sort through things. Frank McCourt, the previous owner of the Dodgers. He sold the sports franchise for $2 billion, the highest figure that has ever been paid for a sports franchise in history. After the sale, his ex-wife determined that she did not get as much of the fortune as she was entitled to, and petitioned for a modification.
Frank’s ex-wife Jamie says that she has thought very long and hard about the motion and believes that it is necessary. She has turned back to the court after Frank would not help her to negotiate the fortune on their own terms. Jamie McCourt’s attorney claims that the woman only got about 7 percent of the family assets while her ex-husband made it out of the marriage with 93 percent. This is a significant injustice. Jamie has chosen to litigate against her husband because the court would not grant a typical modification.
The plaintiff claims that her husband committed fraud because he claimed that the Dodger’s assets were worth less than $300 million during the divorce. When the pair declared divorce, Jamie received $131 million out of that projected sale. Yet Jamie McCourt was shocked when she found that after taxes her husband received about $1.7 billion. This is over 10 times what Jamie McCourt received in a seemingly “equitable distribution.” Jamie is asking the court to terminate her old settlement and start with a new one that divides the fortune equally among both spouses.
Their divorce papers listed a variety of expensive assets, including several houses, chartered jets, and even a six-figure on-call hair stylist. If your spouse did not represent is or her fortune accurately, contact a family law attorney to get guidance on what to do. It may be in your best interests to litigate against your spouse, ask for a new settlement, or ask for a divorce modification so that you are treated fairly.