What Johnny Depp’s Divorce Can Teach Us About Divorce Settlements

 Posted on September 07, 2016 in Divorce

Many news and celebrity gossip outlets have covered the divorce of actor Johnny Depp and his former wife, actress Amber Heard. The divorce was especially messy because there were accusations of domestic violence from Heard. Because of the notoriety of the couple, details of their marriage and divorce have been made public with both sides giving sometimes contradictory messages. NBC News recently reported that the exes have reached a settlement and the divorce can go through.

Even though most of us do not have the fortune of Depp and Heard to divide up, or the paparazzi and other media reporting on the details of our relationship, there are lessons that all of us can learn from their divorce settlement. This article looks at what regular people can learn about divorce settlements from the divorce of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

It is Not Always About the Money

Various news outlets are reporting that in order to settle the divorce, Johnny Depp will pay Amber Heard seven million dollars. While for most of us this is a life-changing amount of money, for Amber Heard, who has a successful modeling and acting career of her own, it may be more about the principle. Amber Heard says that she will donate the money from the divorce to a charity. Even for many couples without the massive wealth of the Depp-Heards, the money itself may not be the point of divorce settlement negotiations. While we all need money to live, sometimes money also represents other things. For example, it may be very important for one person in the couple to get what he or she thinks is fair, even if he or she does not need the money. Other times the breadwinner of the couple may be able to be in the position he or she is in because of the contributions of the other partner and the less earning person may want compensation for the years of sacrifice he or she made for the breadwinner’s career.

Settlements Can End Things Quickly and Quietly

Once again, most of us do not have the kind of lives that are obsessively followed by outsiders. Even though that may be the case, there may be things that about our marriages or our lives that we want to keep private. Litigating a divorce can bring up all sorts of issues that one party may not want anyone to know about. Sources have speculated that part of the reason that Johnny Depp agreed to this settlement was to keep certain pictures and other allegations from coming to light. Settlements can also help speed up the divorce process which any couple can appreciate.

DuPage County Divorce Attorneys

If you are considering a divorce, you should contact a knowledgeable divorce attorney to talk about the possibility of settlement or litigation. Our experienced DuPage County divorce attorneys at Davi Law Group, LLC, can assist you in deciding whether an offered settlement is fair, or can help you decide what settlement you should offer your spouse.

Sources:

http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/johnny-depp-amber-heard-agree-settle-divorce-after-abuse-allegations-n631921
http://www.people.com/article/who-johnny-depp-amber-heard-divorce-inside-last-minute-settlement http://www.etonline.com/news/195786_what_led_johnny_depp_and_amber_heard_to_settle_their_divorce_case/