Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton Divorce After 4 Years

On July 20, one of country music’s favorite couples announced that they had divorced. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton met when they performed together for CMT in 2005 and were married in 2011. Both saw new career highs in the years that followed, including being named female and male vocalist of the year by the Country Music Association several years in a row.

The couple has long been the subject of divorce rumors but were known to shrug off the negativity with playful comments on social media. However, fans were still taken by surprise when finding out that the divorce had already been finalized before the official announcement. The couple had no children and apparently had a prenuptial agreement in place, which meant the divorce could be settled quickly.

However, high-asset divorces aren’t always settled this easily. For many couples, emotions take over after an engagement and they don’t want to consider the possibility that the marriage may not last. In these cases, the property division process can be quite lengthy. High-asset divorces commonly involve multiple real estate or business holdings, investments and sizable retirement accounts in addition to the regular income.

In California, the courts generally split the marital property equitably if there is no prenup in place. In some cases, couples are able to agree on a settlement after the divorce process has started, but doing so without legal counsel can be risky. Talking with a family law attorney can help you understand your options and ensure you don’t sign off on a settlement without knowing what you are entitled to by law.

Source: USA Today, “Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert divorcing,” Brian Mansfield, July 20, 2015