Divorce can
be a stressful and emotional time for any couple; whether they’re high profile
celebrities, or an ‘ordinary’ couple living out of the public eye. However,
there are some divorces which make headlines across the world, either due to
the status of the couple, unusual circumstances, or the sheer amount of assets
being divided up. From the biggest divorce payout in history, to a celebrity
couple who got divorced more than once, see below for five famous divorce cases
in modern history.
Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
After 10
years of marriage, Gwyneth Paltrow set a trend when she referred to her and
Martin’s divorce as a ‘conscious uncoupling’; sparking a new way for
celebrities and civilians to look at the divorce process. The couple are
famously still very close, often holidaying together with their two children
and new respective partners.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor
One of
Hollywood’s most high profile couples met on the set of Cleopatra in 1963, and
married just one year later on March 15 1964. They were married for over 10
years before filing for divorce, but famously married again in 1975.
Unfortunately, following reports that they were unable to live together due to
explosive rows, they split for the second time, less than a year after the
second marriage ceremony.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos
The Amazon
founder and his wife of 25 years made history with the most expensive divorce
settlement to date. Jeff Bezos is listed as the wealthiest man in the world
with a net worth totalling $160 billion, and MacKenzie instantly became the
third richest woman in the world once their divorce was finalised - walking
away with a settlement of roughly $68 billion.
Young vs Young
The sad case
of Scot and Michelle Young is one of the longest running and highest profile
divorce cases in British history, and resulted in both parties running up
millions of pounds in legal fees. It’s alleged that Mr Young hid £40 million in
assets from his ex wife, and around 65 separate court hearings occurred without
coming to a decision. Scot tragically fell to his death from a window in 2014,
and the case remains one of the most drawn out and complicated divorces in the
world.
Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
While this
isn’t exactly modern history, the case of Henry VIII and his first wife,
Catherine of Aragon, played a vital role in the transformation of British
religion and marriage laws. At the time, divorce was forbidden by the Catholic
church, so when Henry wanted out of the marriage, he simply set up his own alternative;
the Church of England. The Pope had denied Henry an annulment, so he appointed
Thomas Cranmer as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was finally granted a
divorce in 1533.
Divorce can
be a stressful and difficult time in any circumstances, so if you’re looking
for a professional and reliable divorce lawyer in Nottingham, get in contact
with Hawley and Rodgers. Our family solicitors are highly experienced and
sympathetic, so you can rest assured that there’s someone on your side
throughout the entire process. For more information or to set up an
appointment, give us a call today or visit our website.
