Westchester Divorce Blog

Jennifer Murray, entertainer Bill Murray’s wife of 11 years, has filed for divorce, alleging that he was abusive and is addicted to marijuana and alcohol.

On May 12^th, Jennifer Butler Murray filed papers in Charleston County, South Carolina.  She and the couple’s four children live together in a home she owns on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.  The suit also alleges frequent abandonment.

The couple signed a pre-nuptial agreement before their marriage in 1997.  It was filed as an exhibit with the divorce papers.  As part of this pre-nup, both parties waived their right to alimony or support in case of a break-up.  However, Murray agreed that in the event of divorce, he would pay his wife $7 million within 60 days of the final divorce decree.

According to the complaint, Murray would allegedly frequently leave the family, without informing his wife, to engage in public and private altercations and sexual liaisons.

The suit also claims that Murray physically abused his wife, specifically citing a November incident in which he struck her in the face and said that she had been “lucky he didn’t kill her.”

Closer to home, another celebrity divorce is coming to a head.  Supermodel Christie Brinckley and her fourth husband, Peter Cook, will go to trial in Suffolk County, Long Island, on July 2^nd, to fight over child custody and finances.  Given the charged atmosphere and accusations flying back and forth at the preliminary court appearances, this trial promises to provide lots of fodder for the gossip media.

Original Source:  CNN.com, May 29, 2008 

June 12th 2008 Posted to Celebrity Divorce
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With the ongoing war in Iraq in its sixth year, and many soldiers from the U.S. military on their third or fourth combat tours, the divorce rate among military personnel is soaring.

According to David Smith of The Guardian, last year, there were approximately 8,700 divorces that involved American soldiers, in comparison to 2001 when there were an estimated 5,500.

According to James Pritchard, a chaplain at Loyalty Base in east Baghdad, since the beginning of the year, he had 38 soldiers referred to him to discuss marital issues. He estimated that 10 of them told him that they had discovered or found evidence that their spouse was leaving them or seeing another person.

Pritchard said that marital problems are a big issue, particularly among younger soldiers who have wed a person they have not known long.  He notes that suddenly spouses States side find that they have extra income, and the “spouse at home” lifestyle is convenient for extra-marital affairs.  Pritchard says that there have even been instances of soldiers going home to find the house empty with the spouse and kids gone.

Original Source:  PressTV, June 2, 2008

June 11th 2008 Posted to Miscellaneous
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Why do couples get divorced?  Although each relationship is unique, the reasons for splitting up are not as varied as you may think.

The five main reasons why marriages fail are:

• Communication Problems.  Many couples have trouble with communication even before they say, “I do.”  People may not make their expectations clear, or may simply fail to bring up important issues for fear of how their beloved will react.  It is vitally important to discuss your feelings about things that are personally important to you, but few couples actively practice this habit.  There are some couples that will ignore or gloss over little problems and small irritants between them before they get married, only to discover that these issues have grown exponentially to become a major source of friction after marriage.
  Bottom line:  If there is an issue that you feel that you cannot talk to your partner about before you get married, that is a definite red flag for problems after you get married.  Now is the time to lay your cards on the table so that the two of you can play with a full deck after the marriage.
   
• Financial Issues.  It is often said that money is the last thing people talk about before they get married, and the first thing they fight about after they get married.  Married couples often quarrel over issues like shared financial responsibility, unequal financial status, undisclosed or hidden assets, overspending, and lack of financial support.  Money is not always the sole or primary factor in divorce, but it is often the single most significant factor.  The root cause, once again, is the lack of communication between spouses about financial matters.
   
• Abuse and Addiction.  All forms of abuse can reap havoc on a marriage, not just physical abuse.  Sexual abuse, verbal abuse, and emotional abuse can be equally devastating.  Often, one spouse’s own demons – in the form of drug or alcohol abuse, or a gambling addiction – can place unbearable strain on a marriage.
   
• Marital Infidelity.  The infidelity of one spouse may irreparably destroy the trust that lies at the core of the marital relationship, and may cause the other to seek a divorce.
   
• Sexual Problems.  If there are unresolved issues of sexual dysfunction or disinterest that persist, it could become a cause for divorce.

Original Source:  “5 Main Reasons of Divorce” published at IVPeacefest. 

June 10th 2008 Posted to General
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We are Willem and Margaretha Gravett, and we are the founding partners of Gravett & Gravett, a husband-and-wife boutique law firm focusing on matrimonial and family law.

We want the best for your family, just as we do for our own.

Our law firm is different from the “traditional” Westchester matrimonial law firms in the following ways:

·      No hourly fees – When we billed by the hour, our clients wanted everything done with as little communication as possible – for fear of the bill they would receive.  We want to hear from our clients and we want to answer their questions.  So, we threw out the time clocks.  Nothing we do is billed on an hourly basis.  We work on a fixed fee, agreed-upon in advance, so that there are never any surprises.

·      Secure client extranet – We provide consistent, proactive updates to our clients via our secure client extranet.  Our clients have 24/7 access to all the documents, important dates, and the status of their cases.  They enjoy the peace of mind of knowing exactly what is going on – in real time.

·      Your Personal Family Lawyers™ for life – We see our clients’ divorce cases as the beginning of our relationship, not as one-time transactional events.  We value being our clients’ trusted advisors for life.  After their divorces, we also help them to get their estate plans in order so that they can transfer their whole wealth – their financial, intellectual, and spiritual assets – to their loved ones.

At Gravett & Gravett, our clients are at the core of everything we do.

One of the ways in which we want to demonstrate our commitment to client care and service excellence is to reach out to the Westchester community through this blog. 

We know that divorce or separation can have a devastating impact on your family relationships and finances for the rest of your life.  The decisions that you make now will be critically important to your children, your finances, and your future.   

The purpose of the Westchester Divorce Blog is to provide you with helpful information as you navigate through this painful process, and to alleviate the stress, anxiety, and confusion inherent in divorce, custody, and other matrimonial and family law matters.

June 09th 2008 Posted to Uncategorized
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