Years ago, Hollywood superstar Robert De Niro and his wife, Grace Hightower got divorced. Some time later, they reunited. There may be Pennsylvania spouses who can relate to such scenarios. There may also be people who relate to De Niro’s current state of events, which is that he and Hightower are once again trying to achieve a fair settlement in a second divorce.
The main issues that the former couple is fighting over are money and custody of their 7-year old daughter. They have an adult age child as well. Their daughter was born to them through surrogacy. It is not uncommon for parents to disagree about where a child of this age should live once a divorce is finalized.
The money matters are a bit more complex in the De Niro/Hightower divorce, which is pending in a New York court. Before they married the second time around, they signed a prenuptial agreement. Hightower reportedly agreed to certain financial conditions if the couple were ever to divorce again. However, she is now saying that De Niro was not upfront about his assets, so she believes (now that she has additional information) that she is entitled to half of what her lawyer estimates De Niro’s net-worth at approximately half a billion dollars.
Pennsylvania is an equitable property state, which means a judge has full discretion to determine how assets should be divided in divorce. Prenuptial agreements often have significant impact on property division proceedings. If a spouse is worried that his or her partner is not being forthright regarding financial disclosures, he or she can ask an experienced family law attorney to help protect his or her rights.
