What Happens Next for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, as Per Divorce Lawyers
What Happens Next for JLo and Ben Affleck Per Divorce Lawyers
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's separation was finalized as recently the Grammy-nominated singer filed for divorce. The power couple of Hollywood who were also monikered as Bennifer 2.0 parted ways after months of speculations. The couple was last spotted together in March. Since then the duo marked their solo appearances in varied events. The Oscar-winning actor was absent from his estranged wife's birthday bash last month which triggered the news around their relationship status. InStyle spoke with two divorce attorneys Jacqueline Newman of Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein and Kelly Shindell DeLacey of DeLacey, Riebel & Shindell LLP to understand what lies ahead.
1. Jennifer Lopez Filed For No Spousal Support
Lopez has filed for divorce and requested the judge for no spousal support for both individuals. DeLacey shared that in cases that involve high net-worth pairs, the need for spousal support diminishes as both have similar earnings and do not require financial support for their subsistence. The state of California has laws that allow 10-year or less-old marriages to issue spousal support for half the length of the marriage, which Affleck might demand considering that they sold their house in Beverly Hills.
2. Reasons Why JLo and Ben Affleck Didn't Sign a Prenup
JLo and Affleck never signed a prenup after their lavish wedding. The prenuptial agreement is a great deal especially among celebrities who get married to avoid issues later in case of separation. "If I had a guess as to why they did it, I hate to sound naive in this in some way, but it could just be the romantic idea that this isn't about money. Maybe it was an element of commitment for both of them," Newman said making guesses as to why the duo might have decided to sign no prenup.
3. Why Did JLo File For Divorce Without a Lawyer?
Filing a divorce without any legal representative allows the court the authority to decide settlement on behalf of the individual. The Dance Again hitmaker filed for her divorce on their second marriage anniversary. "She has an estate that would suggest that there are some nuances to the financial setup that would require some level of sophistication," DeLacey said. "My guess is that either one of two things, either she hasn't officially hired an attorney, which would be a little surprising, but it's possible, [or] she might not have wanted to give as much attention to the whole situation. By filing on her own, no one's calling any lawyers, no one's asking for comments—she's keeping it much more contained," Newman said.
4. JLo Filed a Financial Information Sheet
The singer and songwriter has submitted a financial information sheet with her divorce papers. DeLacey explained that generally high profile celebrities do not file with a financial statement as they have assets with complicated ties. The financial declaration includes a set of forms that outline the incomes, expenses, assets, and liabilities of the parties. Non-responsiveness to the document by the other party generally leads to determining default and separation of assets or assigning separate properties to both individuals by the court.
5. Will The Estranged Couple Share a Joint Statement?
The separated celebrity pair are yet to share a joint statement with their fans. The public statement might take more time the attorneys suggested as the duo gear up for a nasty legal battle. "When you're dealing with people that are in the public eye, it usually is part of the negotiation to figure out what the statement to the public is going to be…people can spend a long time fighting about that, too," Newman explained. "If she had lawyered up with a super-aggressive lawyer, sometimes, that can be impactful. She didn't do that. I think there's a good to fair chance that they're going to be able to work it out, and it will be very quick, and hopefully, for both them and their families, it will be painless," DeLacey said.
