A divorce is often an emotionally challenging process to experience in California. What may make matters worse is for one’s divorce-related affairs to quickly become public via the court system. This is particularly true when a divorcing couple’s desire is to protect their kids from the turmoil of this type of family law proceeding as well as protect their reputations.
The best way to keep one’s divorce private is to strive to reach a settlement instead of proceeding to trial. A settlement can be achieved by mediating a divorce or by negotiating on how to divide marital property and assets. When a person goes to trial, all information spoken in court remains on the record, so the public can easily access this information.
It is worth noting that, in California, all filings are available for the public to review. However, clients do have the capability to hire a private judge who can hear their arguments before making rulings in a confidential manner. Still, these private judge hearings are technically public trials that can be attended by anyone.
For celebrities or high-profile individuals, going through a divorce may not only impact their personal lives, but it can also affect their professional lives by tarnishing their reputation. It is for this reason that completing the divorce process without going through the possibly contentious litigation process may be helpful long-term. Whether divorcing individuals resolve their issues on their own or have to rely on a judge to handle them, it is within both parties’ rights to fight for the outcome they feel they deserve in California.
Source: forbes.com, “Protecting Privacy In A Divorce“, Russ Alan Prince, Dec. 8, 2014