McCourts back in court to settle spousal support dispute

Although the divorce proceedings between Frank and Jamie McCourt, the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, have already stretched out for several months, there is no indication that the couple or the court will reach a final resolution anytime soon. Potentially stalling the already-long process, the McCourts continue to file court motions as their financial situations change.

Most recently, Frank McCourt filed a motion seeking a reduction of the temporary spousal support he had previously been ordered to pay his wife, following the sale of one of the couple’s seven homes. The family law attorneys for the couple were able to reach a deal on the issue, and now Frank will pay monthly spousal support in the amount of $225,000 for an unspecified number of months.

The McCourt divorce heated up last fall when the couple came to court with two different copies of a 2004 postnuptial agreement. In testimony before the court, the attorney that prepared the postnup testified that he changed the property agreement after both Frank and Jamie had signed it. Although he only changed one word – ‘exclusive’ to ‘inclusive’ – when taken in context, that minor change completely changes the nature of the couple’s property division.

The original document described the Dodgers as exclusive of Frank’s separate business property, which would mean that the couples own the team jointly. In the agreement as altered by the attorney, the Dodgers are described as inclusive of Frank’s separate property, which would give him full ownership of the team. In December, a judge ruled that the original version of the agreement was valid, and that the team must be divided between the spouses.

Clearly, the McCourt divorce is far from over. We will continue to update our blog with any new developments.

Source: The Huffington Post, “McCourt Divorce: Spousal Support For Jamie May Be Reduced,” Greg Risling, Sept. 14, 2011