Divorce Styles of the Rich and Famous: How to Make Them Work for You

Your divorce isn’t as high-profile (or high-income) as that of Bill and Melinda Gates or Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, but you could learn a lot from how they and other big names handled their breakups.

The paparazzi photograph a glamorous couple.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

News of celebrity divorces with mega-sized price tags might add to the sting we non-millionaires going through similar splits already feel. After all, multimillionaires can afford high-priced lawyers, therapists, babysitters and vacation escapes to help them through the strain. But what about the rest of us?

As high and mighty as power couples like Bill and Melinda, Kim and Kanye or Mary-Kate and Olivier might seem, divorce is a great equalizer. The property assessments might be different, but I can speak from experience in my work as a high-value divorce attorney, that money doesn’t prevent people from being hurt, jealous, spiteful, petty and subject to poor decision-making under the emotional trials of a divorce. But it doesn’t take a private jet to rise above these pitfalls and make your own divorce as smooth as possible. Here is a “translation guide” to put celebrity divorce terms to work for the rest of us.

Disclaimer

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

Holly R. Davis
Co-Founder and Partner, Kirker Davis LLP

Holly R. Davis is a legal commentator, entrepreneur, partner and nationally recognized litigator who manages over 30 associate attorneys. She founded and developed two multimillion-dollar law firms before the age of 35.  Skilled in trial advocacy, business management, family law and civil litigation, Davis also is a weekly legal commentator for Court TV and Dan Abrams' Law and Crime Trial Network.