If the newsstands are any indication, divorce has moved from a social taboo to a water cooler topic. With so many people analyzing the divorces of stars like Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, Reese and Ryan and Alec and Kim, there is a new cultural awareness of pre-nuptial agreements, settlements and trial separations. Can all this divorce talk help the average couple? Yes says author and certified financial planner Kathleen Miller.
"No matter how much or how little notoriety you have, divorce can ultimately be a win-win situation if you are willing to get organized and fight for financial security as you move forward," she said. Miller's new book
Fair Share Divorce For Women, Second Edition encourages the average woman to take control of her finances and empower herself with a stable financial future.
What exactly can women learn from celebrity divorces? Here is some of Miller's advice:
Understand that divorce is a team sport. Celebrities have huge teams of attorneys, publicists, accountants, nannies and mediators when they announce their divorces. The average woman going through a divorce may not need all of these specialists, but she definitely should have a financial adviser, therapist and career coach on her team in addition to an attorney.
Learn to manage the grapevine. If your friends are dishing the latest gossip about celebrity break ups, know that they are likely talking about you as well. Details such as spending habits, new relationships and hidden bank accounts will all be part of the neighborhood scuttlebutt if you allow it. In a few cases, it is a wise negotiating strategy to be very public about your divorce, but understand the pitfalls as well.
Reclaim your own sense of identity. Heather Mills had a very public breakup from Beatles superstar Paul McCartney and faced extreme media backlash. However, her appearance on Dancing with the Stars showcases a different, friendlier persona. Women who go back to work and make a positive change in their lives following their divorce are laying a foundation for financial security and success.
If you earn more than your husband, you should be prepared to pay, just as Jessica Simpson had to pay Nick Lachey. Career assets have value in a divorce. Increasingly, the courts recognize that couples who build up wealth and increase their lifestyle do so jointly over their married lives, even if only one was the main financial contributor.
Kirkland, WA (
PRWEB) April 26, 2007
