Utah Couples Divide Marital Assets in Private, Unlike Celebrities

When standing in the checkout line at a local grocery store, Utah residents often peruse the headlines of the gossip magazines. Sometimes, they read about the life of their favorite actors and stars in some sort of torment. It does not seem to matter whether the story is about the wedding of the decade or the horrific divorce that has quickly become a fight over marital assets. The life of a celebrity seems to have something that everyone wants to know about.

The thought of comparing the lives of celebrities to those of the rest of us makes some people uncomfortable. People often see celebrities as rich and famous people who seem to have the “perfect life,” at least until there is a scandal. It may come in the form of a drug addiction problem, an alcohol related arrest or a cheating spouse caught in flagrante. The public is fascinated about the problems of the wealthy and famous.

The mere fact that, in most cases, the average person has a tax bracket significantly lower than many celebrities does not seem to matter. Celebrities may not seem to have to worry about childcare and other day-to-day expenses, although many of them do. The truth is that they experience the same pains that everyone else feels — it is just announced to the rest of the world when they do. Nevertheless, the marital assets to be divided often seem to be multi-million dollar mansions and luxury cars instead of a small townhouse or small town single family home.

If given the choice of a Hollywood or fairy tale marriage or a real life one, many people would choose the quieter and simpler life. Regardless of lifestyle, when a couple decides to divorce, it is normally preferable to confront the issues to be decided privately — away from the paparazzi and without the judgment of the public. Utah residents may feel relieved that, when a couple decides to file for divorce, the proceedings do not necessarily have to up for debate by the world as to how the marital assets are to be divided. Whether the assets are substantial or modest, those couples that are able to focus on cooperating to achieve a settlement that is fair to both parties may find it easier to move forward toward the next phase of their lives.

Source: guardianlv.com, “Celebrity Divorce : What Can Be Learned?“, Jerry Nelson, March 26, 2014