Settlement Stays the Same in Former Dodger Owner Divorce

Some of our readers in California might have been following the case of the former Los Angeles Dodgers owner’s divorce. His ex-wife had appealed to the 2nd District Court of Appeals claiming that the $131 million settlement she was granted should have been blocked. She claimed that her ex-husband misled her about what the team and television broadcasting rights were valued at.

The appellate court recently ruled against her. The court found that he gave her attorney’s more than 220,000 pages of financial documentation. It also found that in 2009 while she was a team official, she had reviewed an estimate that placed the combined value of both the team and the television broadcasting rights at $2.4 billion.

The woman filed for divorce from the man in October 2009, and they reached a financial settlement in 2011. In the interim, the Dodger franchise had filed for bankruptcy. The team was then sold in 2012 for $2 billion.

In a unanimous ruling, the appellate courts 3-judge panel found that the woman wasn’t credible. The ruling leaves the $131 million settlement intact. In addition to that, she received more than $50 million in personal property and real property. The ruling noted that she chose the security of that settlement.

She also has to repay $1.9 million to her ex-husband for the legal fees from trying to set aside the settlement.

As you can see, dealing with appeals in divorce trials can be costly and lengthy. This also proves that you should make sure you fully understand a divorce settlement before you enter into an agreement about it. Knowing your rights and learning about different options might help you to ensure that you don’t later regret the settlement.

Source: CBS Los Angeles, “Appeals Court Refuses To Overturn Ex-Dodgers Owner’s Divorce Deal” Feb. 25, 2015