While the media is often more concerned with the relationship details and reasons behind a high-profile divorce, the property division process can be just as interesting and can serve as an example of how couples worth millions divide up their assets after deciding to divorce. For Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, who announced that they had divorced in a joint statement on July 20, a prenuptial agreement appears to have simplified matters greatly.
According to reports, the couple each got one residence, with Shelton taking the ranch in Oklahoma and Lambert keeping the Nashville estate. The couple were also able to decide how to handle their numerous pets, which are considered property and subject to the regular property division guidelines in the state. Reports indicated that Lambert would be keeping the majority of the animals but would have to remove them from the ranch.
Shelton was reportedly the one who initiated the divorce, filing on July 6, and the prenuptial agreement was able to expedite matters so that the divorce was finalized just two weeks later. There was no information available as to any other financial settlements for the couple, but both have established careers with worth in the millions, meaning financial support was likely not an issue.
Those considering getting married would do well to talk with a family law attorney about a prenuptial agreement, even if there are no high-value assets. Financial matters can change quickly, and many couples find that while they had very little when they married, by the time the divorce comes real estate, retirement accounts and personal bank accounts are all in play.
Source: Entertainment Tonight, “Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert Divorce: Who Gets What?,” Raphael Chestang, July 21, 2015
