A person does not have to live in Hollywood to hear about the spectacle the divorce proceedings between actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have become, and many in Texas have been following the story.
USA Today reported that after filing for divorce in May 2016, Heard was back in court days later asking for an order of protection against Depp. The judge granted the order after hearing allegations of abuse, ranging from throwing a cellphone at her, to hitting her in the face. Although law enforcement did not confirm that a crime had occurred, they were on the scene the night of the alleged incident.
The seriousness of the allegations and possible safety issues increase the importance of experienced representation. The actors have each hired well-known attorneys to represent them in this contentious case. After back and forth negotiations, it looked as if the former couple had agreed on terms by August 2016. However, according to the Huffington Post, in December Heard was back in court filing a Request for Order because Depp had so far failed to pay the $6.8 million they had agreed upon in the divorce settlement.
If the couple had been successful in their attempt to settle out of court, which is less expensive and ultimately may have been more private, their case may have resolved much more quickly. However, with a domestic violence charge and the other complex factors that led to the high level of conflict, not to mention the large sums of money involved, negotiations may have been impossible from the start.