Celebrity Divorces and Living Under the Same Roof: Deion and Pilar Sanders

[Photo of former Dallas Cowboys Cornerback Deion Sanders from wikipedia]

Have you been following the ongoing saga in the news this past week of the divorce between former Dallas Cowboys superstar Deion Sanders and his spouse, Pilar?  According to various news reports, Pilar was arrested by Dallas police last week for allegedly committing a simple battery against the former football star.  Also, Deion Sanders allegedly "tweeted" about the arrest.

But this post isn't really about those allegations, or about the problem of domestic violence.  Nor is this post about the common problems inherent in many celebrity marriages and divorces. Instead, this divorce illustrates some of the types of problems which may occur when parties are going through a divorce, but they continue to live under the same roof while the divorce proceedings are pending.

This situation doesn't just occur in celebrity divorces.  It can happen to anybody going through a divorce. As Augusta, Georgia divorce lawyers, see here, we often see couples who, for many reasons, including financial problems, must continue to live together in the same house, while their divorce is pending. Naturally, the stress of the divorce sometimes compounds the problems which previously existed.

Here's hoping that Deion Sanders and his soon-to-be ex will be able to peacefully co-exist until their divorce is final.  What can couples do to cope with such problems when they must live under the same roof while their divorce is pending?

Divorce Around the World: Ancient Japan

[Photo of Golden Hall and five-story pagoda of Horyu-ji from wikipedia]

Did you know that, according to various sources, in ancient Japan, a man could reportedly divorce his wife if he simply discovered that she was left-handed!?  Isn't that a bizarre law?  Of course, every country has its own unusual laws, past and present!  Don't you agree?

Divorce and the Importance of Communication With Your Divorce Lawyer

Good communication is important in every relationship, don't you agree?  That goes for attorney-client relationships, too.  As Augusta, Georgia divorce attorneys, we strongly recommend that you open and maintain a good line of communication with your own divorce lawyer.

Good communication includes consulting with your divorce attorney before you take any action which might have a bearing on your divorce case.  For example, please talk with your divorce lawyer before you choose to deny child visitation to your spouse, or before you elect to terminate his cell phone services.

But being a good communicator also applies to the divorce attorney, too!  In other words, as divorce attorneys, we always try to remember that we should carefully consult with you, the client, before we negotiate a settlement with the other divorce lawyer, or before we represent you in court.  In order to get it right, we must talk with you and discuss your position beforehand.

In short, it is essential that divorce attorneys and clients should sit down and/or talk with each other about every important aspect of their divorce cases!  Again, good communication is the key to any relationship, don't you agree?

Why Simple, Uncontested Divorces Aren't Always So Simple!

As Augusta, Georgia divorce attorneys, we, at the Goolsby Law Firm, often receive telephone calls and emails from people who simply want to get a simple, uncontested divorce.  We understand.  These folks generally want to avoid a costly, contested divorce and just get as far away as possible from their worthless spouse, "Sluggo!"  But here are a couple of practical reasons why a simple, uncontested divorce may not always be so simple:

1. WHEN SLUGGO WON'T COOPERATE:  If your worthless spouse, Sluggo, refuses to cooperate and sign all the uncontested divorce documents, then you are wasting your time and money on this approach.  In other words, in some divorce cases, you and your divorce lawyer may decide it is best for you to take the control out of Sluggo's hands and get him served with contested divorce documents.  Otherwise, Sluggo may delay and delay, (on signing uncontested divorce documents), until the cows come home.

2.  WHEN YOU ARE FORFEITING IMPORTANT RIGHTS:  In some divorce cases, we also see some folks who are so desperate to get a "quick" divorce that they are willing to walk away from equity in the marital home, along with forfeiting other important property or rights.  We generally recommend that people who are facing a divorce should carefully consider, (with their divorce attorneys), whether or not they should make such sacrifices simply to avoid a court battle, or a more costly, contested divorce.

Look, as divorce lawyers, we recognize that each divorce case is different and that it is up to you, the client, to decide whether to go contested or uncontested in your divorce.  But we recommend that you discuss the facts of your divorce case with your own divorce attorney.  We also just wanted to point out that, at least in some divorce cases, there are valid reasons why you and your divorce lawyer may decide that a simple, uncontested divorce may not be best, or be so simple!