Archive for January, 2009

Amy Winehouse’s divorce from Blake Fielder-Civil looks like it might get nasty, as her love letters to Blake are to be used in court to prove that Blake was the inspiration for Amy’s music. If it is proven that Blake was the inspiration for Amy’s success, he will be entitled to a larger share of her personal fortune, estimated at £10 million.

Winehouse herself has already stated that her hit song ‘Back to Black’ was inspired by problems with her boyfriend, which was revealed to be Blake. The love letters to Blake show that Amy stated she would be dedicating more of her tracks to her husband, which can only work well for Blake in the divorce settlement.

Amy wrote to Blake stating:

Blake, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I’m thinking how about I write you a few albums.

According to reports, Blake has even updated his profile on Facebook to show that he is single.

Clive Bellmore

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It’s the news that no couple wants to hear after they’ve been divorced, especially when they were divorced TWELVE years earlier. However one couple (or former couple) from Mumbai have found themselves back in the law courts as their divorce 12 years previous may not be legal.

The problem is that the wife thinks they’re still married, whereas the husband claims they’re divorced.

We’ve all tried that one!

The problem is that when the couple were married, they were married under both civil law, and under personal law. When they divorced 12 months ago, they only divorced under civil law. This means, that under the law, they have been sent back to court for them to decide if the marriage is still active.

It’s every man’s nightmare, and one I personally will be having nightmares about tonight.

Clive Bellmore

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We’re almost out of January, which for many married couples who haven’t yet headed for the divorce courts, means good news. It was widely reported in late December that divorce lawyers were expecting to see a huge spike in business as couples sought divorce after spending the Christmas break together, arguing. Indeed, every year divorce applications are always at their highest in late January as couples grow tired of each other, constantly arguing.

So if you’ve managed to survive this far, perhaps you’ve made it out of the other side and have managed to save your marriage for another year?

Many couples haven’t though, with arguments over finances, problems with parenting or shenanigans in the bedroom being the most common reasons for divorce.

There are some more oddball reasons for divorce as well though. For example, one couple from Leeds applied for divorce just days after their wedding this month, when they argued over the best place to order their wedding catering equipment in Yorkshire.

This is unusual, but it does happen. Weddings can be just as stressful for couples as the Christmas period or moving house, as the pressure to get everything right and to the perfect day can be excruciating.

Clive Bellmore

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According to recent research, men are getting rich from divorce – which flies in the face of common thinking, and certainly my experience!

The research suggests that after a divorce, the man has a much higher disposable income where children are involved, and the woman suffers as her available funds drop significantly. According to the figures provided by the research of Professor Stephen Jenkins, the man’s available cash increases by a quarter, 25%.

In contrast, the woman’s available income drops, and that apparently is irrelevant of whether she is looking after children or not.

The survey is called “Marital Splits and Income Changes over the Longer Term” and states that most women find their available income drop by more than 20% after a divorce, and remain low. This is almost the opposite of the man’s income, which increases by 25%.

Stephen Jenkins states:

The differences between the sexes are stark.

But this is not so much a gender thing as a parent thing. The key differences are not between men and women, but between fathers and mothers.

There are only two factors that have an impact on women’s financial position, post relationship breakdown.

The percentage change in income is less if they have worked beforehand and continue working afterwards. The impact is also reduced if they start working after the relationship breakdown. There is also a potential positive impact if she remarries, although the impact is a small one.

I’m not sure I agree with the findings, I certainly wasn’t 25% better off following divorce, and my ex-wife was at least £16,000 better off after the divorce.

Clive Bellmore

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Martin Hale seems to have taken a unique view to what could have been an expensive divorce from his wife, by murdering her and disposing of the body. Martin is standing accused of murder, and has even written a list of different ways to dispose of her body.

Why would you leave a list like that lying around?

He left the list in his briefcase, which was found by the police, stating:

At sea, by fire, by acid, landsite.

It was explained to the court that he even asked one of his friends if he could us the incinerator in their pet crematorium. Another note found by police showed his views on his wife’s demands during their divorce settlement:

Now Maureen says she doesn’t love me anymore but she would like to keep the house, all the children and an income to keep her and the children in the style that she has become accustomed to - nice car, money, no job and friends to visit.

His wife, Maureen, went missing in June 1999 and has never been found. Martin didn’t report her missing until three days later. She had begun divorce proceedings against her husband a few months earlier.

Martin Hale has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife, claiming that if she his dead, it must have been her lover who killed her.

Clive Bellmore

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You’d think, after the tragedy that was Heather Mills Mccartney, that Macca would be scared off marriage for life, but no, the former Beatle cum lovable scouser is all ready to tie the knot again. His new bride to be, Nancy Shevell, has just completed her divorce from Bruce Blakeman, a wealthy lawyer (is there any other type of lawyer?) and now she’s ready to leap straight into marriage with Sir Paul.

Nancy herself is pretty well off though, so at least Macca isn’t being married for his cash. Nancy is an heiress of a US haulage firm, and is worth a bob or two.

The couple are expected to appear in Edinburgh tomorrow when Paul’s brother Mike unveils a new photography exhibition.

Clive Bellmore

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I’m sure it’s something we’d all like to do if we could, but a Muslim man has been found guilty of divorcing his wife. Nothing strange there, except that he didn’t tell her.

Some things are best left secret anyway!

The man, Khalil Kazi from Batley Carr, divorced his wife without telling her so that he could marry another woman. Sadly for Khalil, it looks like he’ll be going to prison for his troubles. He has been found guilty of perjury, and of perverting the course of justice when he appeared in court in Leeds. Upon finding the man guilty, judge Scott Wolstenholme said that he can expect to be sent to prison for his actions.

Surely there’s logic to the motion though? If all divorces happened without the woman being informed they’d be a lot cheaper and would be concluded far more quickly.

Clive Bellmore

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With divorce rates on the up (and January being the peak divorce season) everyone seems to be turning to their divorce lawyers at the moment in a bid to end their unhappy marriages. This of course proves very costly though, usually for both parties, and with house prices at the lowest they’ve been for years, couples are finding that they can’t even afford to sell the matrimonial home without incurring more debt.

Not all marriages that are fraught should necessarily end in divorce though. Often the problem lies in misunderstandings, cross wires and couples living in each other’s pockets too much. Rather than head for the divorce courts, couples should try to work through their problems, starting with giving each other a little space. They can do this by finding hobbies and interests of their own, outside of the marriage.

For example, the husband could look to join a club, go fishing or take up a hobby such as woodwork. This will allow him to vent his frustration and be creative at the same time. The wife could try something away from the home, such as attending one of the many UK bingo sites for a girl’s night out, or maybe even getting a part time job in the evenings or weekends.

Often couples will find that if they spend some time apart doing things that don’t involve, or interest, their partners, they’ll find a renewed respect for each other… or at least a renewed tolerance.

Clive Bellmore

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Getting divorced can be an expensive business, as anyone who’s been through the process will testify, but when you’re dealing with the celebrity world, divorce costs can be huge. Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White is going through a divorce with his wife of sixteen years, Mati White. Friends of Mati say that the divorce proceedings have so far left her penniless to the extent that she’s had to hand her diamond engagement ring to her divorce lawyers as collateral.

So far the divorce has meant that both parties have racked up six figure bills with their legal team, but the move by Mati has angered Marco. Marco gave her permission to sell her diamond engagement ring if she needed to do so, but not to use it to pay her solicitors. The diamond ring is worth a reported £250,000 and contains an Asscher-cut six-carat diamond.

Her divorce lawyers are now holding the diamond ring until she can pay their costs.

A close source to the couple spoke of Marco’s annoyance at the solicitor in taking the diamond ring from her.

He thinks the situation is appalling and that Withers is acting like a pawn shop. He claims he never told Mati to hand the ring over, but at one point he did give her permission to sell it if she was desperate for the money.

It’s not common practise for divorce lawyers to accept diamond engagement rings as collateral, but when they’re worth a quarter of a million pounds they seem to make an exception.

Mati White said:

Marco’s solicitors sent me a letter suggesting I used it to cover my legal fees which I thought was a very good idea. I handed it over voluntarily.

Clive Bellmore

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Pop star Pink was reportedly devastated after her split from her husband Carey Hart earlier this year, but it looks like she may have done what many divorcees insist they will never do, and gone back to her husband.

Originally Pink was so worked up about the split from her motorcross riding husband that she wrote a hit single about him (So What). Now it looks like the couple might be back together as they have been spotted hiking together. They were seen in a park in Los Angeles, hiking in the hills and even having a spot of lunch. It’s certainly not the usual behaviour for divorcing couples!

Pink married Carey Hart in January 2006, but they announced earlier this year that were divorcing due allegations that Carey had been adulterous.

The couple even brought the New Year in together, a time when many couples think about getting back together.

When the couple celebrated New Year’s Eve at Carey’s Las Vegas club, an onlooker remarked:

They didn’t really talk much, but at midnight Carey grabbed her and took her up to the stage and introduced her.

It’s obvious that they still care about each other very much.

If they could get whatever problems they have resolved in 2009, you just know they’d love to be back together again.

Clive Bellmore

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