Divorce Is The Biggest Issue For Professional Athletes

SAN DIEGO DIVORCE LAWYERS

Divorce Is The Biggest Issue For Professional Athletes

Pro Athletes and Divorce

Around half of all American marriages end in divorce. However, this number is low compared to the divorce rate among professional athletes which stands at around 80 percent. The media often focuses on domestic abuse issues in pro athlete divorces and tends to disregard how difficult it is for a professional athlete to make a relationship work.

“It’s hard to keep a marriage going if you’re a celebrity athlete. There is a great deal of temptation and a ton of money available. It’s a bad combination” says Bruce Provda, a New York divorce attorney who has represented many high-asset clients.

Many athletes are on the road constantly and are continually flocked by groupies. This can lead them to succumb to temptation. Many have issues dealing with newfound fame or wealth and many suffer from an inflated ego that is fueled by the fame that leads to a divorce. Others just choose to end their relationships because they believe they have made a bad choice or because they prefer a single life.

High Profile Cases

Some of the costliest divorces in history have involved professional athletes. Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Greg Norman have all paid out enormous sums as the result of a divorce. Woods split from Elin Nordegren in 2010 after prolific media attention. While Nordegren received $100 million for the six years that they were married, there were many who believed that this was not enough due to Wood’s frequent philandering.

Jordan had three children with his wife Juanita, and after seventeen years they decided to split. They filed for divorce in 2002. The couple went through marriage counseling but things did not work out and they split for good in 2006. The divorce was estimated to cost Jordan around $168 million.

Norman married Laura Andrassy in 1981 and the couple split in 2006. A year later, he married tennis star Chris Evert only to divorce her a year and a half later. He then remarried in 2010 to interior design Kirsten Kutner. Andrassy took Norman to court in 2009 claiming that he had missed $66,000 of alimony payments out of the $104 million that he was ordered to pay.

What About My Divorce?

While most men will never have to worry about the kinds of financial settlements these professional athletes have paid, the fact that they are so thoroughly covered in the news means that many people have the idea that men are supposed to pay large sums of money when they divorce. This can lead to unrealistic expectations on the part of a spouse who wants a divorce. Unfortunately, these expectations may lead to unnecessary divorce litigation that can be costly to both parties.

No matter how little or how much is at stake, the Men’s Legal Center can represent you in your divorce. Call us today to set up your initial consultation.

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