After a divorce, it’s easy for a person to ask him or herself, “Why didn’t I do this? Why didn’t I do that?” Some things seem obvious in hindsight.
Many professional athletes in recent years have gone through high-profile divorces that ended in huge payouts. Some of them may be wondering why they never signed premarital agreements. And if they aren’t wondering, others certainly are.
Let’s look at some of the most famous cases. Kobe Bryant, one of the most famous NBA basketball stars in the world, got divorced from his wife earlier this year. She likely got about half of his fortune, which comes out to about $150 million. They did not have a prenup.
An estranged wife can often get half of an athlete’s worth if they do not have some sort of marital agreement. NBA stars, on average, make more money than other professional athletes.
Tiger Woods would be an exception. It’s not known exactly how much of a fortune he has amassed, but reports indicated that his ex-wife got about $100 million after they divorced. Some reports, which were later dismissed, had put the figure closer to $750 million.
Some athletes do sign prenuptial agreements, particularly if their spouse is a celebrity too. For example, when Lamar Odom married Khloe Kardashian in 2009, their agreement apparently stipulated that in the event of a divorce she would receive $500,000 for every year they were married, plus $25,000 a month in spousal support.
Planning ahead can make the outcome of a divorce a little less surprising.
Source: KSAT, “TheLaw.TV: Celebrity divorces show the power of the prenup,” May 16, 2012