Amidst the contentious and dramatic divorces of Tiger Woods and Sandra Bullock, it is refreshing -- albeit rare -- for divorce attorneys in Pasadena to hear about grown-up celebrity divorces. Take Kate Winslet, for example...

The Oscar-winning actress and American Beauty director Sam Mendes announced their split earlier this year, and appear to be participating in a very amicable and functional divorce. Kate and Sam have been seen around New York City in recent months exchanging their children in perfectly organized pick-ups and drop-offs. According to the Daily Mail, Winslet and Mendes orchestrate timing to avoid one another while keeping their children out of the war zone. Mendes reportedly waits for his ex to leave before he accompanies the kids to school each day. He then walks the kids to their private school in Greenwich Village about a mile away. Winslet picks them up in the afternoon around 3 p.m. when Mendes is at work. The couple even lives on the same block while sharing parenting duties of son Joe and daughter Mila. Winslet and Mendes avoid contact with one another but generally appear to get along in situations when they are forced to interact. Despite this current peaceful climate, sources are quick to note that the couple is not expected to reconcile.

This is an improvement for the couple; they were on separate sides of the globe when their divorce was announced back in march. Winslet was on vacation with close friend and former co-star Emma Thompson and the children in Mexico. Mendes, on the other hand, was working in Los Angeles. Rumors of Mendes having an affair with actress Rebecca Hall swirled shortly after the pair announced their separation. Hall since has denied the rumors, saying that she and Mendes are only friends. Winslet has stayed out of the limelight, focusing on her children and returning to work. She has a variety of projects on the horizon, including a romantic comedy with Hangover star Bradley Cooper.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Family lawyers in Pasadena, tabloid reporters around the world, celebrity watchers and even the police all have opinions about the current fall from grace of actor and Academy Award winner Mel Gibson. With the release of what now are commonly referred to as "the tapes" -- in which Gibson channels Mad Max and drops every racial slur, misogynistic defamation and general hate-filled phrase under the sun -- folks are wondering how and if he can ever be back in good graces with the public. An unlikely figure, however, may be the one person who can help Gibson: his former wife of almost 30 years, Robyn.

The couple, according to celebrity gossip sites, might be returning to Australia to disappear for a while from the media attack that currently surrounds the actor. Not only did Robyn give Mel 8 children, she stood by her man during his first fiasco, the infamous Malibu DUI of 2006. Gibson often credited Robyn for helping him recover from alcoholism. She even appeared with him at public events and looked as if she was truly in for the long haul. Yet behind closed doors, insiders say the marriage was already over. Mel and Robyn separated that same year. News outlets were quick to declare the couple as "totally over." The courts, on the hand, told another story. The Gibsons didn't even file for divorce until 2009. Citing "irreconcilable differences," the couple seemed to have ended things amicably; Robyn did not aggressively pursue a large chunk of Mel's estimated $900 million fortune.

And now, Robyn is publicly defending her estranged spouse, saying Mel was never physically abusive and was always a caring father despite the claims of bitter ex-girlfriend Oksana Griorieva. Mel is likely to stay put in Los Angeles until some of his legal messiness, including a custody battle for his child with Griorieva, is cleaned up, but reconciliation with Robyn at this point does not seem unlikely. One thing we've learned from the volatile Mel Gibson is to expect the unexpected.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ask any Pasadena divorce attorney and they'll tell you that $750 million is a whopper of a settlement. And that's exactly what several online media organizations are reporting Elin Woods will be walking away with from her soon-to-be ex-husband, golf superstar Tiger Woods. Sources close to the couple say the ink is almost dry on a divorce deal that would finally put an end to a marriage rocked by rumors of dozens of mistresses, sexual addiction, and domestic violence since last November.

The couple has been in negotiations for months; they allegedly hit a roadblock when a very aggressive divorce lawyer was representing Elin from California. Elin changed representation a few months ago and insiders say that the new legal team has sped along the divorce process. Both parties are said to be committed to ending the marriage as quickly as possible. Also, the general tone between Tiger and Elin has changed these days, reports Radar Online. The angry exchanges have been silenced and communication between the two is strictly limited to the needs of the children. Tiger and Elin are said to communicate primarily through staff members like nannies or personal assistants. The two were recently spotted at their daughter's birthday party and while witnesses describe the interaction as "barely civil," it is definitely an improvement.

The sad end for Tiger and Elin arrives nearly seven months after the car accident and domestic disturbance that opened a Pandora's box of marital discord and drama. Week after week a parade of porn stars, strippers and waitresses came forward, all saying that they had had affairs with Woods. This media circus forced Elin to return to her native Sweden with the children until things settled down. Elin reportedly forced Tiger to attend a sexual addiction rehabilitation facility and the couple was rumored to be heading for reconciliation. But peace talks for Elin and Tiger allegedly went out the window when Tiger returned to professional golf.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Talk about blind-sided: The tabloids have been panting for weeks over the possibility of a reunion between Sandra Bullock and Jesse James. Gossip mavens wondered if she had forgiven him, or if the couple's newly-adopted son brought them back together. They wondered why they've been seen together recently. Well, wonder no more. According to Radar Online, Sandra Bullock pulled a fast one on the press and quietly signed divorced papers on Monday in Texas. The divorce papers, which were filed on April 23 in a Travis County court, were signed by both parties and ordered sealed, meaning the documents will not be released publicly.

Sandra certainly won't be needing divorce advice in Pasadena. She and her lawyers worked faster than the careening bus from Speed, the movie that launched her career, to get the divorce finalized. Bullock is said to be pursuing adoption of baby Louis as a single parent. Louis was adopted by the couple in January; the pair had started the adoption process nearly four years ago. Bullock told People magazine Louis' sock kept falling out of her purse on the evening of the Academy Awards but no one noticed. The actress told a very small number of family members and friends of the adoption, although most of her inner circle learned about Louis with the rest of the world in April. There is no word as to whether a custody arrangement will be reached with James or if he will be a part of Louis' life.

The finalization of the divorce brings to close one of the most shocking Hollywood scandals of recent years. News of James' infidelity spread like wildfire just weeks after Bullock had won the best actress award for the film Blind Side. Things went from bad to worse when James' mistresses like "Nazi stripper" Michelle Bombshell McGee came out of the woodwork with tales of affairs with James. Bullock, who has appeared at a couple of awards shows recently, has been largely in hiding since the story broke in March.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LeAnn Rimes: nominated for a Grammy at 15, married at 20 and now divorced at 27. The country and pop songstress' divorce to Dean Sheremet was finalized last week. Like many young women seeking divorce help in Pasadena, Rimes is most likely relieved her long ordeal is finally over. Rimes and Sheremet separated last summer and a settlement was reached in December, just a few days after they filed for divorce. The final dissolution of the union comes after months of infidelity confessions, public trash talking and whispers of multi-million-dollar payout.

The trouble for Rimes and Sheremet began last summer. Rumors flew that the star was cheating on her spouse with Eddie Cibrian, whom she met while filming a Lifetime movie, filled the tabloids. Cibrian, who was recently fired from CSI: Miami, was also married at the time. At first the pair denied the rumors, but when Rimes and Sheremet separated more details of the affair were leaked to the public. Rimes eventually admitted to the tryst in US Weekly and apologized for hurting so many people. Cibrian and his estranged spouse Brandi Glanville are also currently divorcing. The couple has two sons. Sheremet has run the gamut from tear filled interviews to angry online declarations and has reportedly been granted spousal support.

LeAnn and Dean met in 2001 when she was the host of the Academy of Country Music Awards and he was a dancer on the telecast. Sheremet, who was also an aspiring actor, was described by LeAnn at the time as the man she knew she was going to marry. Less than year later, the pair tied the knot in Dallas. At the time of their marriage in 2002, concerns were raised that they had married too young. Nonetheless, Rimes and Sheremet appeared to be happy in the public eye, attending Hollywood events together for several years. Today, Sheremet is still pursuing an acting career while Rimes has released a new single in support of an album due to hit stores later this summer.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Does it seem like all of your friends are seeking divorce advice in Pasadena? Moreover, it seems like every week a different celebrity couple is calling it quits. There may be a surprising cause for the divorce epidemic: According to psychologists and authors, divorce might just be a contagious phenomenon.

A new study conducted by political science professor James H. Fowler, a professor at the University of San Diego, along with researchers from Brown and Harvard universities, finds that like the common cold, divorce can spread like wildfire. The study found that couples that have close friends who divorce are more likely to end their marriage than ones that do not. Your decision to split may not only influences your friend but their friends, too, the study found. As Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil, author of Make Up, Don't Break Up, explains, "Yes, it's contagious because when you see people breaking up, you start to look at your own marriage."

Friends, as it turns out, are powerful influences when it comes to relationships. Folks with a divorced friend were 147 percent more likely to get a divorce than those with happily-married friends. Also interesting: Through intimate conversations that reveal martial troubles and tell of one friend's divorce, the listener may not be affected but another friend who heard of the issues second-hand is likely to be the subject of divorce.

The virus doesn't end with just friends. Siblings who witness their brother or sister go through a divorce are 22 percent more likely to get divorced than those who don't have divorced siblings. Co-workers are also a big influence on couples, Fowler says. A divorced co-worker can increase the likelihood of a fellow employee divorcing by 55 percent as opposed to an employee who works with non-divorced people. Surprisingly, people with children were less likely to be influenced to divorce by other divorced couples, the study found.

In the end, how we as individuals react to a divorce epidemic varies from case to case. "Some people can be a carrier of the disease without actually exhibiting the symptoms," Fowler says while comparing divorce viruses to the flu. "They can carry a virus but they might not get a fever or cough."

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Theirs was a love made in reality television heaven (or hell, depending on how you look at it), yet Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have apparently called it quits and very well may be seeking divorce advice in Pasadena. The Hills stars have fought separation and divorce rumors for months, but last week things took an official turn when Montag filed for legal separation in a Santa Monica, Calif., court. After attempting to file in nearby Malibu, which does not handle divorces, Montag filled the separation paperwork, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the cause, in an effort to thwart her estranged husband from being entitled to any of her future earnings.

As always with these two, the separation is just the tip of the iceberg. The blogs are filled with rumors of infidelity, battles over money and the inevitable question of how "real" this whole separation is to begin with. And to think that it seems like only yesterday we were asking how "real" the marriage was to begin with! According to RadarOnline, Montag allegedly has hired a private investigator to determine whether Pratt has been dating other women. Pratt has fired back with affair accusations of his own, claiming that Montag has been involved with her bodyguard Cougar Zank (who recently invited the blond starlet to stay in his Malibu home; Pratt subsequently fired Zank from his guard dog duties). The legal papers seem to prove the split is legit, but columnists speculate this could be yet another ploy to keep "Speidi" in the headlines.

Meanwhile, the pair also garnished headlines for being broke. Sources say the couple's wild spending on everything from designer bags to plastic surgery has completely depleted their bank account. MTV's The Hills recently wrapped its final season, and financial prospects for both Pratt and Montag are few and far between.

Although Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have not filed for divorce officially, a legal separation is not a good indicator that the couple America loves to hate will be staying together.

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week's media bombshell of the separation of Al and Tipper Gore sent people scratching their heads and asking "what happened?" After all, most of us assume that when a marriage has lasted for more than 40 years, it's pretty much a "until death due us part" kind of union. Yet from Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins to Sean Penn and Robin Wright-Penn, the trend of long-term marriages ending in divorce is definitely on the rise. And everybody, it seems, has a belief as to why.

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, family therapists cite several reasons for why marriages like the Gore's could end in divorce after decades of staying together. The Gore's children have now grown and some experts say that many couples wait for this to happen as to keep the family unit stable. Also, one of the couple's sons was injured badly in a car accident, and the stress of the event -- like the stresses of children with handicaps -- can cause couples to drift apart, according to therapists. Another factor is that people are living longer, so folks like the Gores as well as Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins -- in their fifties and sixties -- are ready to start new chapters at an age that was previously thought of as "the golden years." Many of theses couples also marry at very young ages, leaving little or no time for self-discovery, a project that now can be tackled later in life.

The simplest answer as to why long-term marriages end in divorce is that couples just grow apart. Sources say that it isn't unreasonable for a couple's needs, wants, dreams and goals to change after many years of marriage. Growing and changing are natural parts of relationships, and sometimes the parties involved do not share common goals as they get older. If you have grown apart from your spouse, get professional divorce advice in Pasadena today by giving us a call.

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In best-selling books and on his hit National Geographic Channel show, Cesar Millan transforms the most unruly and ill-mannered dogs into loving family pets. His uncanny ability has earned him the title of the Dog Whisperer. In his own life, maybe Millan should have visited the Marriage Whisperer to get divorce advice in Pasadena. After 16 years of marriage, Millan's wife, Illusion, filed for divorce last week in Los Angeles court. According to court documents, Mrs. Millan is seeking primary physical custody of the couple's two children. The papers cite "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the divorce.

News of the split came from Millan's popular Cesar's Way website. In a message to fans, he wrote, "We are sad to announce that after 16 years of marriage we have decided to file for divorce. The decision was made after much consideration and time. We remain caring friends, and are fully committed to the co-parenting of our two boys."

Cesar Millan grew up in Mexico in a small town. There, he often was teased with the nickname "dog boy" in reference to his ever-present canine companions. Millan had a dream of becoming a famous dog trainer, so he headed to Los Angeles with $100 in his pocket. More than 20 years later, Millan has built a multi-million-dollar dog training empire that includes four best-selling books, his wildly popular cable television series, a product line for animals, a national seminar series and a magazine. Millan also boasts a list of celebrity clients like Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kathy Griffin, Denise Richards and Oprah Winfrey, who has featured him as a guest on her talk show. Cesar and Illusion also a run a non-profit organization for animals in Los Angeles.

When it comes to families with business and financial ties like the Millans, it is important to seek out our own "Divorce Whisperers" to help us sort out what otherwise could be a messy task. Contact one of our family lawyers in Pasadena today.

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Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Her milkshake may have brought all the boys to the yard, and he may be widely considered one of hip hop's most influential artists, but Kelis and rapper Nas are now officially divorced.

A Los Angeles court granted the couple a divorce last week. The pair split in April 2009; Kelis cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce papers, which were filed just months before she gave birth to the couple's son, Knight. Since the filing, both sides have publicly spoken out about their distaste for one another and the terms of their divorce. Blogs and magazines have widely reported the showdowns since last April.

Kelis Rogers and Nasir Jones have been unable to come to terms on custody arrangements and spousal support payments. In early May, Nas begged a judge to reduce his monthly payments to Kelis, citing that he could not afford the hefty $10,000 installments. The rapper and producer also has stated that his now ex-wife has made visitation with his son impossible and that she remains uncooperative and hostile. In addition, Nas' camp has alluded to infidelity as being the primary reason for the split. Rogers, on the other hand, has stayed out of the debate for the most part, adding only that her ex owes her back child support. Nas has pled not guilty to the charges but could face jail time should a judge disagree. The case is set to go to trial later this year.

The Grammy-nominated Kelis and her rap mogul ex were married in July 2003. Other legal woes have plagued the duo along the way, including an incident outside a Florida nightclub that lead to an arrest for Kelis in 2007. Nas was arrested for DUI and possession last December and has faced other alimony disagreements with Carmen Bryan, his ex-fiancée and mother of his daughter.

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a couple, Al and Tipper Gore battled the campaign trail, the record industry, the tabloids -- even global warming. Yet it appears they were fighting a private battle that they just can't win: After 40 years of marriage, former vice president and presidential candidate Al Gore and his loyal wife Tipper have announced they are separating.

On Monday, the couple stated via email that their long marriage was over.

"We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought we have decided to separate, " the email said. "This is very much a mutual decision and a mutually supportive process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect of our privacy and that of our family and we do not intend to comment further." Website Politico broke the news of the email and soon after spokespeople for the couple confirmed the sad and shocking news.

The split comes as a big surprise to pundits and celebrity couple watchers alike. After all, the Gore's marriage has never been wrought with scandal like John and Elizabeth Edwards' or subject to tongue wagging speculation like that of Bill and Hillary Clinton's. Furthermore, the Gores appeared to be one of Washington's most stable and loving couples. Their devotion was immortalized by a famous passionate kiss at the podium of the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Since losing the election in 2000, Al Gore has devoted himself to environmental causes surrounding the issue of global warming. This work spawned a best-selling book and an Oscar-winning film, both entitled An Inconvenient Truth. Gore also filled his time with entrepreneurial endeavors and business ventures like Generation Investment Management, a sustainable investment program, and the co-founding of Current TV, a cable network in which he also serves as chairman. Additionally, Gore works as a director for both Apple and Google. Tipper is a photographer and briefly considered running for Senate in her home state of Tennessee when the the couple returned after living in Washington.

Al and Tipper Gore have four adult children and three grandchildren.

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So far, Tiger Woods and his legal advisers have done a pretty good job of warding off the police and keeping him and his wife out of trouble.

At this point the only thing the police have against Tiger and his wife is that Tiger crashed his 2009 Cadillac into a fire hydrant and a tree in his neighbor's yard after he pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 a.m. Alcohol apparently was not involved in Tiger's collision.

The police officers involved in the case reported that upon their arrival they found the 33 year-old PGA star lying in the street with his wife hovering over him. Tiger's wife was described as being "frantic and upset". She told the officers she was in the family's mansion when she heard the accident and came out and broke the back window with a golf club.

Two troopers attempted to interview Mr. Woods at his home after the incident, but his wife turned them away claiming that Tiger was sleeping. When the troopers came back the next day Tiger was not available. Tiger then canceled subsequent appointments that his attorneys made with the police who were attempting to obtain his statement.

From the evidence released concerning the incident it appears that a domestic disturbance between Tiger and his wife ensued in their early morning hours. It is also possible, based on the evidence, that one of the two parties committed domestic violence. After all, Tiger admitted to having an extramarital affair with a woman in California, and the evidence shows that he was desperately trying to cover his tracks about the affair at the same time that this incident occurred. Thus, it is not beyond the realm of all possibilities that his collision with the tree was caused by the dispute.

Some critics complain that Tiger was wrong for not speaking to the police about the incident. I'm not an expert on protecting people's images or their trade names, but I do know a little bit about protecting people from getting into trouble with the police. In this regard Tiger and his legal representatives should be commended. The police are not likely to be able to make charges stick against Tiger or his wife, so long as neither one of them agrees to cooperate.

This case strongly demonstrates the fact that the Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination is alive and well. Unfortunately, most people do not know that they have a right to refuse to speak to the police at any time. Take a page from Tiger's book. In the unfortunate event that the police come knocking on your door to speak to you about a domestic squabble, exercise your rights and ask to speak to a lawyer.

The police and the prosecutors are making extraordinary efforts to dig up evidence to determine whether or not Tiger or his wife committed crimes, which is typical these days in cases involving domestic disturbances. In my view this incident was not the crime of the century and I'm sure that Tiger and his wife will have no problem paying full restitution for the damages that he caused to the tree and the fire hydrant. The only injuries that appear to have taken place are the injuries that Tiger caused to himself. It looks like it was a purely private matter between Tiger and his wife, given that neither one of them are asking the police or prosecutors to file charges.

I cannot help but wonder why the police would state that there are charges pending or that they were attempting to obtain a search warrant of the mansion. In order for the police to obtain a search warrant for Tiger's mansion, they must show a court that there is probable cause to believe that there is evidence of a crime within the mansion. I doubt that the prosecutors can get a search warrant issued from the evidence thus far, as this incident involved a car crash. What evidence do they hope to find in the mansion?

The police and prosecutors ought to exercise discretion in this case and lighten up on Tiger. Tiger already has severe problems with respect to protecting his image, not to mention keeping his family intact. Who knows, this case may end up in a divorce, in which case we will have plenty to write about.

Anyone care to guess if there was a premarital agreement or how much Tiger would have to pay in child support?

Written By: Donald P. Schweitzer

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

California family law attorney Don Schweitzer appears on Star Jones Live to discuss Britney Spears' recent health crisis and what her family can do to help.

Posted by The Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)