Tips from the top: Hollywood’s ‘go-to’ divorce lawyer shares some secrets of celebrity splits

Ever wondered why A-list celebrity divorces seem to come along in threes? There's a good reason, as shared by one of Hollywood's top divorce lawyers, Laura Wasser.

Wasser’s client list reads like a Hollywood party doorman’s dream… Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, Stevie Wonder, Maria Shriver, Melanie Griffith and a trio of Kardashians. The majority of her clients are firmly in the paparazzi’s sights, so her job is as much to minimise exposure as negotiating a settlement.

Why celeb divorces are like London buses…

When interviewed by Bloomberg, Wasser revealed that she advises her clients to file at the same time to reduce media attention.
"When Wasser has several clients she knows will wind up on the cover of Us Weekly no matter what she does, she submits their cases together, so media attention will be diluted.

‘I’ll tell my clients, ‘I have someone else, I can’t say who, but you should really wait and file at the same time,’

she says."

That Friday feeling

Another of Wasser’s tactics was to file petitions for divorce on a Friday afternoon, just as media outlets were shutting down. However, the advent of social media has changed that, and now the only respite can be found (temporarily) by filing before a holiday weekend.

It also transpires that some clerks in the Californian court system tip off the media about newly-filed divorces, so the news could be on social media within the hour. Wasser therefore always advises clients to tell their spouse they are filing for divorce before they actually do so, unless they want their spouse to find out online…

Your own private judge

US law allows people to hire a private judge to hear their case separately from the public justice system. At $1000 an hour, it’s not cheap, but since hearing dates are not made public and neither are the details until after the hearing, it’s a discreet and private occasion. The judge’s decision is as binding as if decided in a court room, details will be disclosed through the usual channels, and either party can appeal.

New year, new life

At LGFL, we know that the prime time for divorce proceedings to be started is in January. The stress and strain of staying together over the Christmas holidays finally takes its toll, and people want to move on. Wasser says it’s the same for celebs, with the high season for Hollywood couples to file for divorce being January and February. Post-Oscars March is another hot time apparently, as celebs don’t like to walk along the famous red carpet on their own, bless them…

It’s good to talk

Wasser doesn’t just deal with celebrities; like LGFL, she has several high worth clients who find that married life and high flying success don’t always go hand in hand. Wasser cites the example of a wife of 19 years finding divorce papers in her husband’s desk at work. She said:

“I was like, ‘Maybe he’s writing a book?’ And she’s like, ‘No. He’s an investment banker.’ So she’s coming in to talk.”

Wasser is also experienced in getting entrenched couples to talk rather than thrash everything out in court. Indeed, Wasser’s first high profile case involving Stevie Wonder was decided through mediation.

If you’d like to talk through your circumstances with LGFL, here’s the good news. We’re not based in California but in Hampshire, we’re happy to work with any client who needs us (celeb or not) and best of all, we don’t charge Wasser’s rate of $850 per hour.

In fact, you can consult us for free. We offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation at our discreet countryside offices to anyone living with a fifty-mile radius. Call us to make an appointment, and we’ll roll out the red carpet for you, metaphorically speaking.