While last week we took a very serious look at the ramifications of divorce and the ravaging effects it has on the family unit; this week we decided to take a different spin and take a look at some of the most expensive celebrity divorces in history. Compared to the divorces we’ll discuss below; a DIY uncontested online divorce would be bargain at half the price. We can only speculate what the Demi and Ashton final tally may be and where it may rank along with some of the items below. And while we are proud that we offer inexpensive divorces online; here we present a collection of the Most Notably Expensive Divorces.

Starting the list and maybe a startling low sum given some of the later entries is Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. Mills was awarded 48.6 million dollars-a fraction of McCartney’s real worth. While the couple were married close to 6 years and do have a child between them the Judge of the case was apparently none too fond of Mill’s or perhaps simply a huge fan of McCartney. At the ruling the Justice was on record as saying “I am driven to the conclusion that much of her evidence, both written and oral, was not just inconsistent and inaccurate but also less than candid.” After getting off easy on what some speculated could have been in the $100 Million category-Maybe Hes Amazed at how easily he got off by comparison.

Next we see the divorce of Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva. Long married and having dated since their college days- the two had 3 children and a 16 year marriage before calling it quits towards their California divorce in 1994. Silva may have been the luckiest woman on the planet for the Buy Low Sell High principle- while married Costner made Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, & JFK; after the split he made Waterworld, The Postman, and a slew of other failures. Even in the world of high end high dollar divorce-Timing is everthing.

Coming in next on the list is Han Solo/Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford and ex Melissa Mathison. After 18 years of marriage and enough Star Wars and Indiana Jones money to buy Greece; Ford decided to seek greener, younger pastures. Mathison came out of the divorce sitting pretty having cashed out to the tune of $85 million-not to mention a share of future earnings from the movies he made while they were married. No word on whether or not her divorce lawyer has yet been contacted by professional athletes to represent them on their next contract.

$100 million dollars later all the while continuing the Indiana Jones theme… Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving. Even though they had signed a prenuptial agreement Irving was able to convince the court that she wasn’t properly represented legally for the signing. While being known as one of the all time highest grossing filmmakers its a mystery as to why Spielberg didn’t simply ring up and ask Harrison Ford’s for the number of his wife’s divorce attorney.

Add another $100 million dollars for the Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren divorce. While most men cannot fathom the idea of needing to cheat when married to a Super Model; Woods overactive use of his putter cost him plenty. His career has yet to recover and he has yet to regain his form which made him a household name and arguably the biggest superstar and phenomena that the gold world has ever seen.

And moving right along we see our next musician to make the list with Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphy. Diamond who wrote “I’m a Believer” for the Monkees in the 60s and then struck gold on his own with too many hits to count throughout the 70s and 80s. The pair divorced and settled amicably for a paltry $150 million with Diamond on record as saying Murphy “earned every penny” and that “she’s been through thick and thin with [him] and deserves half of [his] fortune.” We’re pretty sure Spielberg and Ford were quite as complimentary to their exes.

Coming in with a slam dunk we see our first Athlete of the list with the $168 million dollar divorce of Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy Jordan. The couple filed for divorce in 2002 but reconciled-probably at the insistence of Jordan’s accountant. In 2006 they filed again for good with Juanita walking with the multimillion dollar 7 acre estate and $168 million-that will buy a lot of Nikes.

And trumping all in the mother of all divorce settlements comes Rupert and Anna Murdoch which saw the Gazillion dollar Aussie Mogul cough up a stunning 1.7 billion in assets for their 1999 divorce settlement. Murdoch married his much younger employee Wendi Deng only 17 days later. I can venture a guess that when Deng decides to divorce Murdoch she will use the previous 1.7 billion settlement and raise the price accordingly.

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Often overlooked in an ugly, prolonged Court and Attorney driven divorce is the emotional costs inflicted on the children. The routine of having a mom and dad at home for emotional support becomes a domestic nightmare when the child’s support system not only becomes fractured-but the two anchors in a child’s life file for divorce and are soon to become bitter enemies. Engrossed in their own personal battles, some parents overlook the needs of their children spiritually, emotionally, and financially and never think about the practicality of a quick divorce. The decision to file for divorce practically conjures images of LA Law type courtroom scenes. From the time the initial divorce papers are filed the entire process can take from as little as a few months if lucky to as long as several years…if the divorce lawyer is lucky.

It’s the emotional instability of the parents in a crucial moment of time when a quick divorce driven on amicability and what’s best for all parties involved becomes a long, bitter drawn out court driven affair seemingly benefiting only the attorneys and myriads of other lawyers, paralegals, and court staff typically involved.

Making matter worse at the end of the ordeal is the child is sometimes given the choice of which parent he or she would like to stay with. It’s not too much different then the movie Sophie’s Choice where there is, and never will be a clear cut, easy solution to satisfy all. Sadly, the last 50 years this type of activity has become commonplace and normal. Some statistics show the current divorce rate in America is 41%.

Divorce is never an easy process, but provided the adults act like adults and can keep a rational amicability in an otherwise emotionally fraught situation; a no fault uncontested divorce can make a tough time palatable and even help to keep a close familial bond. Think about this for a moment, a child’s last memory of his parents being together comprised of court room accusations, heated words, and dwindling bank accounts and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty versus that of parents reaching a
mutually beneficial solution

all the while reinforcing that though change is inevitable, that mom and dad did the right thing to benefit the children and oftentimes garner an extra layer of respect for each other. Given both scenarios-the decision is simple.

There are several ways today to file for divorce in this rational manner that can prevent a messy, long termed divorce. Downloadable Online Divorce Forms and Online Divorce Kits can simplify and bring an ease to an other wise difficult situation. While the thought at first of Online Divorce may seem absurd; a few years ago online dating carried a certain stigma as well while today its commonplace and websites like Match.com are experience record hits and impressions on search engines. Its a safe bet to assume that with the passage of time and as the general public begins to acclimate to the relative ease of Do It YourSelf style services that uncontested divorce will soon be as commonplace as amazon or google.

It is with this philosophy that websites like MyDivorceDocuments.Com and EasyAgreements.Com will soon become the standard for legally binding documents that will take the nasty battle element from divorce, and put the harmony and goodwill of familial stability into a tangible alternative for our children.